


A Real Party

by Annien



Series: A Bard's Tale [1]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Comics), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Comic: Dragon Age: Magekiller, Emotional Roller Coaster, F/F, Femslash, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Intrigue, Manipulation, Minor Character Death, Orlesian Grand Game, Romance, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Doubt, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2018-06-01 09:39:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 65,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6513028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annien/pseuds/Annien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in an AU, this story follows major parts of Leliana's life during her time with Marjolaine, after the Blight and during the Inquisition. Will the Nightingale be able to let go of all the hurt and sing again?<br/>Leliana/Josephine romance</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Bard’s Song

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Narcosynthesis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narcosynthesis/gifts).



> I want to thank Narcosynthesis for the inspiration to write this story. Without you, my friend, the story between Leliana and Josephine would not have existed, so I guess the first story I will ever publish goes to you! 
> 
> As to the rest of the readers, this is the first story that I wrote for an audience and I tried to make it as good as possible. At the beginnings the updates will be slower, giving the fact that I have to divide my time between university and work, but it is a story close to my heart, so in no time I hope to have the time to write more - if you enjoy it, that is. Because I am new to this, any feedback or critique would help, so feel free to comment in the section below.  
> Also English is not my first language and there might be mistakes along the way.

Chapter I – A Bard’s Song

 

 

She strode into the grand ballroom already filled with so many nobles. She was still new to how things were working in this foreign place, but she knew that in order to create a good first impression one must be fashionably late. There was a thin line between arriving at the perfect moment and being actually late, but Josephine Montilyet always knew how to make a good first impression. And what an impression she did! The gown she was wearing was created by one of the most famous Antivan designers, a favor that Josephine's mother did not pull lightly. She went to unmeasurable lengths to make her daughter look astonishing for her debut ball in the Orlesian society, and it was all worth it. In the moment she stepped through those doors all the eyes were on her, despite the fact that she was not the supplest female in the room. The golden dress was accompanied by black lace that was covering her shoulders, her sleeve arms, and her entire back, giving a classy appearance from the front and of a completely different, intriguing look from behind. An extravagant mask of matching colours covered the top half of her face, save for her dark hazel eyes. It was a new and fresh look, one that will have people talking for days after.

This was her moment to shine and to affirm herself as an aspiring bard. Even though her patron was an achieved bard and a skillful player of the Grand Game, there was no better bard-master in entire Val Royeaux than the hostess of this grand ball, Marjolaine. If everything would go as planned, Josephine would be able to intrigue the woman enough in order to be taken under her tutelage.

She smiled and politely nodded as she passed the nobility. The eldest Lady Montilyet was surprised to see some familiar Antivan faces, most of them aspiring bards as her. It was not long until she was approached by quite a handsome young man. He was wearing an elegant white shirt underneath his family’s sapphire coloured coat, which was showing his muscled body underneath. As he was approaching, Josephine was trying really hard to remember his facial features, which was difficult when he was wearing an Orlesian mask. Josephine was aware that she would not remember _his_ name, so at least the noble family he belonged to? Ah, but it was hopeless because he stopped in front of her before she could remember _anything_ about him. They formally greeted each other, Josephine putting her well-practiced smile up for the night and took a slight bow as he did the same.

“Lady Montilyet, I am Lord Adorno Ciel of House Otranto! I am delighted to finally make your acquaintance.”

“A pleasure to meet you, my Lord.” Josephine replied as diplomatic as possible. She wanted to continue in the same tone, but curiosity got the better of her. “I am quite surprised to see you here, my Lord. What brings you to Val Royeaux and especially to an event like this?”

“Business, I am afraid. I am here for a meeting with the lovely hostess of this event and House Terraza, but giving that the meeting will take place in two days from now, Lady Marjolaine had the courtesy to forward an invitation to her Grand Ball.” Josephine did not miss the small pause that he made and the stolen glance at her before adding: “I have to admit that I did not think that I would fit in at this event, but seeing you here stirs a familiar feeling in me. I hope that I am not too bold when I say, Lady Montilyet, that you look beautiful and… you remind me of home.”

Normally Josephine would blush hearing those kind of words coming from a possible suitor, but curious enough, she was not feeling those butterflies she would have expected. _But why not? This is everything I hoped when I was little, is it not?_ _He_ is _handsome, an Antivan lord and he might even have some courting skills. From the looks of it he might even fancy me, so… What is wrong with me, then?_ Her line of thought was interrupted by her realisation that he was waiting for an answer… _Come on, answer him already, you do not know who might be watching!_

“Not to worry, my Lord, I did not take your boldness as a wrong suited action, quite the opposite. I think that it is hard to find a balance between boldness and diplomacy. Too many people chose the diplomatic approach, at least from what I experienced, so a bit of courage is welcomed, my Lord.”

Lord Otranto smiled slightly then added hastily: “Please, it is the fourth time you called me “Lord”. I would appreciate if you would call me Adorno.”

“Only if you will call me Josephine, my…” she paused, reformulating her choice of words a slight smile on her face “… Adorno.”

“I am afraid that is not possible, my Lady. A beautiful woman like you deserves to be called what she is, a fine lady, therefore I insist in continuing calling you like you should properly be called.” The quite charming young man said as he took another bow.

 _And on top of that he is also well spoken. When was the last time you found a man so well-educated who was not trying to play any games on you? Aaa, but maybe that is the problem, you are looking for the thrill of the game, for the intrigue, not… this? Oh my, you are keeping him waiting_ again _and he will think that you are not interested. Well, actually_ I _am not interested, plus_ I _should stop talking about myself in the third person and get into my role before it is too late._

“Oh, you flatter me much too much.” She said convincingly and even added a giggle in there. “But if you must, then I have to allow it.” _Take control of the conversation, change the subject and maybe he will stop courting you…_ “On one condition though.”

“And what would that condition be, _my Lady_?” Adorno emphasized the last words.

“If you tell me how the shipping business is going lately. From what I heard I think House Otranto is doing quite well and the person responsible for that is standing right in front of me.” She said, placing her hands on his forearm and walking towards a less crowded place.

Ardorno’s eyes widened with surprise, but accepted the slight change in the atmosphere and let himself be carried by the beautiful Antivan young lady. “Oh, my! I would not go that far, even though the business is going pretty well recently.”

“Tell me your secrets, _Adorno!”_ she said the last words in a suave voice, close to a whisper, meant only for his ears. _Now this is definitely intriguing and what is the harm in trying to have some fun?_ Josephine asked herself while indulging into a deep conversation with the Antivan lord.

 

*******

 

But listening to Lord Adorno Ciel Otranto of Antiva… was not as fun as Josephine imagined. He did not offer her too many chances to play her bard role because he was mostly _talking business_. The only moments when there was anything worth remembering were when he mentioned his passions for sailing and duelling. He really let his insecurities drop when the conversation got more personal and Josephine had to admit that duelling did sound interesting _._ Her imagination ran to a duel between two knights for her attention and love. _It definitely sounds exciting…_ Despite that lovely part she wanted to excuse herself and go search for another company for the night, but she was slightly late. Hearing the change in music and especially the choice – an Antivan specific song – Josephine could win a game of Wicked Grace on what would come next.

“Would you care to offer me this dance, Lady Montilyet? It is our duty to be the ambassadors of our land in here, is it not?” Lord Otranto said as he offered her a bow and extended his hand.

As much as Josephine would have liked to refuse his offer, it would have been both impolite and a silly thing to do. After all, he was right. It was her duty to Antiva to choose a partner and proceed dancing. The Orlesians loved their Game and this was their way of proving that their culture is superior to any other. So maybe accepting his invitation would not have such a bad outcome.

“I would be delighted. We are at a ball after all, no?”

She took Otranto’s hand and he led her to a clear space on the dance floor. He then lifted their shared hands to the shoulder level and placed the other one on the lower part of her back. She gently placed hers a bit higher, letting it rest on his shoulder. The dance was quite an intimate and passionate one which required to be extremely close to your partner. It was an Antivan dance after all, but the intimacy that formed in between them made Otranto blush a little. As the music found its rhythm they started moving, one step, then another, spin and begin again. It was not the hardest of dances, yet he had some problems at the beginning to follow her pace. And it was not due to the fact that he did not know how to dance, quite the contrary. It was just that his partner was taking all his attention so he could not concentrate on what he was supposed to do. Josephine caught his insecurities quite early before the people that were certainly watching them could begin to question his skills.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked, trying to bring him back to the present.

“Wha… What would be wrong, my Lady?”

“It may be nothing, but I have a feeling that you dislike this. Otherwise what would be the explanation for you forgetting how to dance?” she did not wish to sound so blunt.

“I… I apologise, my Lady. I did not mean to embarrass myself like I did, it is just that...” he sighed heavily and closed his eyes. It was a subtle thing that the other people did not see, but he could not hide it from Josephine. He did not even try to mask his disappointment with himself. “I apologise, my Lady, for the inconvenience caused and I would like to excuse myself before my own shame extends to you. I am not a suited dance partner for someone like you. I...” He wanted to excuse himself and leave, but as he tried to put some space in between them, he found Josephine opposing his motion and putting what seemed to be all her strength into her left hand which was just resting on his shoulder. That made Adorno stop and look back at his dance partner.

“First of all, no harm done _yet_. But if you were to leave now, on the other hand, I do not think that your meeting will go as you wish it to. You are aware that Marjolaine is watching every movement at this party, no?” He just nodded in confirmation and let her go on. “Second of all, you are too uptight and that is making you clumsy. Luckily for you it is a sweet type of clumsiness and one that I can fix.”

“How, my Lady?” Otranto did not realise, but Josephine was already helping his “situation” by taking the control. He was not thinking about how he should move, he was just following the rhythm of the music and his partner, without even knowing.

“Just do what I say.”

“Of course, my Lady.” Otranto complied.

Josephine could not help a smile forming on her face. “The first step is to stop calling me “my Lady”. You need to let go of the formality because it clearly constrains you. From now on, or at least for tonight, you should address me only as Josephine.”

Otranto smiled and relaxed slightly, thing that made his movements much more relaxed and natural. Josephine continued to lead the dance herself until Adorno took over. Looking at his posture and attitude you would not say that he was the same person like a moment before. He got back his confidence and even made Josephine forget where she was and just… dance. Her movements were without mistake and were complimenting his perfectly. They continued the rest of the dance in that matter and Josephine even got to enjoy it more than she thought she would. It appeared that after Adorno regained his confidence he was quite a skilled dancer, but that was not enough for her to want his presence the whole night. So, after the dance ended she paid him her compliments and excused herself. Adorno was not quite pleased at the thought that he will have to go back to entertaining Orleasian women who were all too eager to seek his company for the night. For them, he was just an exotic attraction to distract them.

Josephine was not very pleased to refuse him and throw him back to the predators she knew very well that were on to him, but she had her own game to play. If she really wanted Marjolaine to be her patron, then she knew that she would have to capture the attention of several different Orlesian bachelors. She already lost enough time with Lord Otranto and he almost ruined everything for her. If he would not have come to his senses then it would have reflected badly upon her. Choosing a poor dance partner would set a bad light on a bard. She needed to avoid that from happening again, therefore she needed better suitors. _It is not like Lord Otranto is a bad suitor. He is handsome, educated, runs a successful business, but he is not Orlesian. He does not know how to play the Game and how to live this kind of life._ With that in mind, Josephine searched for the best place to see the whole party from. That got her to the place where they were serving drinks. She approached the servant that was serving the drinks and asked for a glass of white wine. It was a good selection of a fine wine, appropriate for a lady of her status.

It was not hard to get the attention of new people, quite the opposite. Young men, and women, were intrigued by the new face that presented itself so well. It was clear as the day that her dance with Lord Otranto  – the last part of it – did not go unnoticed and now more people wanted to see how does an Antivan compare to what they are used to. It was all a game for them and the game was more excited whenever you had new players. She respectfully greeted everyone, made small talks with some of them, flirted with others and even danced with a couple of the people she found skilled enough.

After the last dance she went back to get herself a drink and relax, maybe meet new people, and she was not disappointed to see who was there to meet her. As she was enjoying her drink, she heard a strong Orlesian accent from behind, a voice she did not expect to hear at all, Marjolaine’s.

“It seems like you made quite the impression tonight, my dear.”

That moment was all that Josephine wanted to get from the event. She played everything in her head so many times and she planned it over and over again, but now she did not know how to react and what to say not to embarrass herself.

“Oh, it is an honour to meet you, my Lady. I am Josephine Cherette Montilyet… but you already knew that. I… I wanted to say that I am grateful for your invitation and the party is lovely.”

“So business-like, just how I like it. I have to say that you caught my attention tonight. You really seem to have your way with the nobility.” She said, coming out from the shadows and getting a drink from the table. “You even managed to save that Antivan’s lord reputation and maybe his business with that intervention. It is not a feat one pulls lightly to surprise me like you did. Marquis DuRellion is lucky to have you as a bard.”

Josephine felt herself blushing, thing that did not go unnoticed by the bard-master.

“Oh, it means a great deal coming from someone of your status and I hope not to disappoint in the future to come.” Josephine kept her voice steady enough.

“You have quite the potential and who knows where that might lead you.” It was clear as the day that a skilled bard will say obscure things and never express her thoughts out loud, but that was the closest thing to a proposition she would get from Marjolaine. She placed her cards on the table, and now was Josephine’s time to play her hand right.

“Oh, look at the time, the main attraction is about to make its appearance. Please excuse me, my dear, I have other matters to attend to. You are welcome to enjoy the show and I am sure you will not be disappointed.”

And with that Marjolaine excused herself and seemed to head for the entertainer’s dais. Josephine did not understand the truth in Marjolaine’s words at first, but she was intrigued to see what the woman meant. After all, she had the reputation to _always_ deliver what she promised. So, the Antivan young lady made her way into the crowd that gathered on the ballroom floor. Looking around she realised that the only people not present there were a couple of nobles who passed out from the high quantities of alcohol they consumed. She found herself all alone in a crowd full of people all the same. They were all waiting and their deep booming laughs were reverberating all around the room. She could not help thinking that she wanted to be accepted as one of them, and now she was closer than ever to achieve that, only if she could get Marjolaine to train her. It was common knowledge that at the present time the only people more skilled than her were the Empress of Orlais and maybe her spymaster, which were trained by no one else but Lady Mantillon herself. Other than that, there was nobody to match the host of this party or her well known protégé. But Josephine did not have the time to dwell on those words because suddenly the whole gathering of people went silent as a beautiful young red-headed woman approached the dais. She was wearing the same mask as Marjolaine, with small differences in the quality of the details, which was telling everyone that she was Marjolaine’s most precious toy.

Oh, but Josephine found herself without breath only by looking at the young woman. She could swear that she was able to see the features hiding behind the mask, which were complementing her entire posture. She seemed so confident on herself, bearing the same posture as Marjolaine, only not in the same disturbing way, but more gracious… even romantic. It reminded her why she wanted to become a bard in the first place, the whole bardic allure engulfing her again. She had to find out the name of the woman she came to admire in less than one minute from when she saw her, so she turned to the first man next to her, who told her the name that she knew she will remember for the rest of her life, Leliana. She was Leliana… Even her name held a sweet mystery to it, suiting the bard so much. As the young woman came in front of all the people, she inspected the audience and her eyes met Josephine’s for a brief moment. Josephine found herself mesmerised by those beautiful clear blue eyes and she found herself not only starring at the woman in front of her, but making her way closer to the scene. But Leliana was good, so good at what she did, and she realised that the young Antivan was hypnotised by her presence, thing that brought a giggle and a wink from the more experienced bard. Josephine stopped in awe and she felt her body temperature rising through the roof as she started blushing. When the bard started singing, sharing her tale, all that was around Josephine melted away. Her mind went blank and she forgot everything that happened that night prior seeing Leliana. She let herself be drawn to a song of such passion, sung by a voice so soothing that could calm even the most troubled soul. She emanated compassion and it made Josephine think that she was blind all her life, prior to that moment. She had never seen such beauty and she was certain that she could be left there to listen to that beautiful voice for the eternities to come. Ravelled by emotions she found herself in tears at how easy it all seemed. The notes were falling softly from the red-headed's lips, just like a whisper of a lover’s name… The last notes of the song and her own realisation brought Josephine back to reality. _The lover… could she be?_

She did not have to wait for her answer too much, because a short glance at where the bard was headed after finishing her song was enough to realise that she was indeed Marjolaine’s lover. She sighed, realising what a fool she was for believing that the bard could be single. _Or that she would look at me. Why would I develop in such a short time an infatuation for the girl?_ Josephine shook her head and wanted to leave the ballroom floor, realising that she was one of the few people who were left standing there, when she saw Leliana walking towards her. Well, most probably she intended to go and get herself a refreshment, but that only meant that their paths will cross. Now _you are feeling butterflies? It is a_ stupid _thing to even consider pursuing this, Josephine, so just let it go. Imagine what it would do to your bard career!_

But logic thinking was lost on her when Leliana was walking next to her, beautiful red strands of hair dancing around her face. Reasoning would not stop her whim of talking to the young woman, so she took the first opportunity she had and burst out the first words that crossed her mind.

“Hello.”

Leliana stopped in front of her, acknowledging the shy woman and answering with a smile that made Josephine’s knees go weak.

“Good evening, I do not believe we have met before.” Leliana took a bow which the Antivan returned.

“We did not, my Lady. I am Josephine Montilyet.” The Antivan paused for a slight moment then added hastily, failing to project the charm that she surely wanted to. “I loved your song… You have a truly beautiful voice.”

“You are too kind. A pleasure to meet you, Lady Montilyet, my name is Leliana.”

“No, it is true!” Josephine almost shouted the words, then felt immediately embarrassed by her bluntness. She took a moment to calm herself and – to her surprise – she managed to regain the control on her emotions and have a _normal_ conversation with the gorgeous woman in front of her, who was making her heart do strange things. “I am sorry, I did not mean to be so blunt. What I meant is that it was not my intention to flatter you, I simply stated the truth. Your voice is, without doubt, one of the best I have ever had the chance to hear.”

A wide smile appeared on Leliana’s face and she nodded, acknowledging the compliment. “Thank you so much, it means a lot coming from you. Usually the compliments I get are fake, which is no surprise coming from the Orlesian society, but…” Leliana tilted her head and her smile grew wider “You are new here, non?”

“More or less, well… more. Is it noticeable?” Josephine sounded almost concerned.

“A new face always stands up in these kind of circles, but I have to say that from what I saw tonight, you really showed that you can keep up with this strange bunch.” She waved at a group of Orlesian women wrapped up in their endless gossips.

“Now who is the flatterer?” Josephine added, this time succeeding in radiating the charm she failed emanating before.

“Hmmm, it seems that I had a first glance at that Antivan charm of yours that made quite a high number of Orlesian bachelors fall for you tonight, my lady. If it is not too much to ask, may we have a drink and continue this discussion away from prying eyes?”

“I would be delighted to, my Lady.”

“Très magnifique!” said Leliana taking the lead and moving the conversation next to the refreshment area, both women with a glass of wine in their hands.

All in all, the debut ball was considered a success by the young Antivan. Val Royeaux was truly the right place to be…


	2. Two Can Play This Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peaceful day gets suddenly interrupted and our pair here is thrown into the middle of the Orlesian game, challenged to seduce their assigned targets. Will our bards succeed? Warnings for a small smut part at the end of the chapter - explicit content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not have this chapter in plan (so it was written quite in a hurry), but a comment on the first one made me realise that Marjolaine was a big part of Leliana's past and that I need to approach that subject as well. The difference is that this chapter approaches another side of Marjolaine, closer to the beginnings of "Leliana's Song" and not how we see Marjolaine in Origins or at the end of the DLC. My perception on Marjolaine from the majority of the scenes shown in the game is not the one shown in here, but (as we discussed, my friend) I cannot accept that the whole relationship between these two women was just a lie and that Marjolaine was always the hollow and paranoid/insane person shown in the game. I want to think that if she did not love Leliana, at least she fell for her despite the fact that 'she knew best' not to.  
> My point is that I never imagined how the two women would look together and maybe the smut at the end of the chapter is not the best one, because it felt somewhat strange to write it, not wanting to break the image I constructed for Marjolaine throughout the chapter. Anyway, enough with my rambling, I hope you guys enjoy it! Leave a comment below with any suggestions or objections you might have, and I'll do my best to take notes on everything (just like this bonus chapter came to life...).

 Chapter II - Two Can Play This Game

 

 

Leliana and Josephine were walking on the path of the seafront that was splitting the Miroir de la Mère – a giant reflecting pool constructed by Emperor Reville – in two. The two women met earlier in the day and went shopping on the streets of Val Royeaux. By now, Josephine was aware of Leliana’s obsession with shoes, which was not something strange considering that the shoes are the most important aspect of a woman’s wardrobe. And with the trends changing constantly in Orlais, one could not own too many pair of shoes. That is how Leliana came into the possession of a beautiful pair of peep toe shoes, the latest creation of Saphi in her workshop in the Summer Bazaar. They were an elegant deep blue, the colour perfectly matched by a combination of satin base with a navy colour lace overlay that produced a stunning and intricate design.

It was a late afternoon and the light emanating from the sun was starting to fade, slowly turning the sky into a fiery orange. The wind was casting a cooling breeze as the two women were heading towards Le Masque du Lion Café where they could take a break and enjoy a beverage. Leliana was narrating her a story she loved, Les Quatre fils Aymon, about the adventures of the knight Renaud de Montauban and his three brothers, revolting against the emperor. Being born into a noble family, be it a small one, but still part of the nobility nonetheless, Josephine lent her ear to a fair number of bards and read a multitude of stories. Even so, none of them seemed half as interesting as the tale narrated by Leliana. Even if the woman was singing a lament on solemn violin notes that expressed the heaviness of one’s sins; a lyrical ballad accompanied by the suave notes of a piano where her voice merges with each tap of a key; or a private show where she expertly plays the lute while her bardic voice tells the tale of a hero from the times now lost, Josephine could not stop herself be drawn into the mystery this woman presents. She felt like the main character from one of the stories she used to read to her sister Yvette, about a Rivaini pirate captain who is lured by the song of a mermaid. In the same way as that Rivaini pirate was lured by the mermaid’s song, Josephine fell into the spell of the bard. And she did not mind it at all. How could she, when Leliana was absolutely, astoundingly gorgeous, and that was not the most culminating trait she possessed.

As much as the young Antivan wanted to continue their walk on the seafront, they soon arrived at the biggest market in the capital city and to the famous Le Masque du Lion Café. Leliana loved the romantic air of Val Royeaux, accentuated by the songs played by the minstrels nearby. As they were lead to their table, the minstrel sang an ode to the Maker and how He turned away from His first children. After they sat at their table a waiter came to take their order.

“Bienvenue au Masque du Lion. Une bouteille de Ghislain pour ces dames?”

“Ce serait parfait, merci!” Leliana replied will a gentle smile and a nod as he poured the wine in their glasses. “Now, where were we? Ah, I was going to offer my gratitude for accepting my invitation and join me today. As much as I love shopping for shoes, it is far better with a splendid company such as yours.” The bard then held the wine glass in the air, looked Josephine deep in the eyes and dedicated the toast to her friend. “A ta santé, mon amie!”

“A ta santé,” Josephine replied as she felt a shiver running through her spine under Leliana’s gaze. She finished the drink and tried to speak before things would extend further, but she found herself voiceless. The Antivan cleared her throat with a small, intended cough that also made Leliana stop her stare, then tried to speak again.

“So, Leliana, you never told me how you became a bard,” she managed to pull the conversation away.

“Ah, you really want to hear that dull story, Josephine?” the redhead said, a small chuckle resonating in the air.

“Well, of course, I want to know more about you! I mean-” she felt like a fool for the bluntness she showed once more, “if it is something you feel like sharing.” Josephine allowed herself to breathe lighter after managing to save the conversation somehow.

But Leliana did not let it slide that easily.“I would share _anything_ with you, Josie,” she said, her voice filled with sultriness when she spoke. This time Leliana could not hold back a smirk.

On her part, Josephine was feeling the heat rising to her cheeks and she could swear that it was plainly written all over her face. Obtaining the desired outcome, the older bard kept her promise and started sharing her tale with the lovely and shy woman in front of her.

“After I lost my mother when I was four, her master, Lady Cecilie Vasseur took me in and offered me all the attention in the world. She spoiled me, really, giving me everything I wanted. And all I ever wanted were books full of tales from all the kingdoms, ballads and songs. After I depleted everything there was, I used to spend time with the elven servants and they told me the lore they kept from times long lost. But after seeing that I have an inclination towards music, Lady Cecilie brought me tutors to foster my passions. Growing up as a teenager she brought me with her at every soiree, ball or event in the Orlesian society, and that was how I met Marjolaine. While Lady Cecilie was still alive, Marjolaine trained me to sing and play the lute, but after, she took me in and that is how I perfected the skills needed to become a bard. I was utterly trilled by the Grand Game and impressed by the woman, and she was impressed with me. That is how we grew very close as well.” At the last thing, Leliana thought she saw Josephine’s demeanour fall slightly, being maybe upset by the development between the two women. But it vanished as soon as it appeared, so Leliana could not know for sure. “What about you, Josie?” she tried to bring the other woman into a more pleasant discussion. The redhead placed her elbows on the table, rested her chin in between the palms of her hands and allowed her bow-trained fingers to frame her face. The smile she offered the other woman was genuine, not like many she put up for the sake of the Game, and the Antivan felt the excitement emanating from Leliana around her, drawing her out of whatever mood she was in before. “What made _you_ become a bard?”

“Me? Whatever draws every young noble coming for the first time in Val Royeaux. It was actually at the end of the first year attending the courses at the University here that I learnt about the bards. Just like many other students in my shoes, I found it intriguing. There was such an air of romance to them! Dealing with stories, secrets, trysts and fascinating people all around is indeed something that every person that aspires at something more wishes. After all, it is the fate of all nobles to fall into the pits of dullness and monotony. I do not wish to share that fate and live my life without a meaning. I wish for the thrill, the adrenaline, the intrigue… I wish to live like this day might be my last one! Do you understand, no?”

The whole time Josephine was talking, Leliana could not take her eyes off of her. The passion with which she spoke about all of it, the noble and human aspirations this woman had, truly captivated her. She might feel that she chose to be trained as a bard because so did many other colleagues of her, but Leliana was for too long in this business not to know what happens to the fresh faces. So many of them are attracted into this by the prospect of fame (when a true bard’s identity is best kept secret), of power, of glory, of seduction, that they lose scope of what a bard should really be. A bard does not do it for the fame only, or for the power a completed missions brings, or even for all the targets you manage to seduce. If you have just one of those in mind, or just focus only on some aspects of this job, then you do not have the necessary traits to be one. Being a bard is not as simple as that, for politics in Orlais is an incredibly complicated matter that translates into a game or a dance of intrigue, seduction, ambition, scandal, a good understanding and approach to politics, a high cultivated notion of culture and history, as well as the archetypal Orlesian morality. If you lack only one of these, then not only you are not suited for a bard, but you are not suited for the Grand Game. And the problem with all the new young bards is that they do not understand all that it takes and they think that they are indestructible, until they step someone on the wrong foot with the smallest of things, and then they see that it is not all fun and games. No, the Game is so many times cruel, maybe unfair for the ones that lose, and far too deadly for the unprepared ones.

But not Josephine, she seemed to understand perfectly the way the nobility works, when to step in, or when stepping back would be the best thing to do. She was calculated, precise in her machinations when she needed to be, but at the same time too polite for her own good. Maybe it was all an act to trick anyone into underestimating her, making herself appear as an easy target. When an assassin would want to make a move, he would lose sight of the real situation, providing the young innocent bard with the perfect opportunity. And who knew with how many she was playing this charade with? For all that she knew, Leliana might be one of those set targets, even though she was certain that if that was the case, Josephine would be careful enough not to get too involved. It was what Leliana would have done in her shoes, and actually it was the same type of game she played, though she relied more on the seduction aspect of it…

There was something genuine about how they acted around each other. Normally bards should not trust other bards, because sooner or later they would have to follow their mission’s interests, which may easily conflict with the development between them. But that was not what was going through Leliana’s mind when thinking of Josephine, no. The young woman was different, with an air of innocence that was asking for eyes in the dark to prey on her. If Leliana was not careful how she handled this, there were pretty big chances that Marjolaine could be that predator, and turn her attention on Josephine, and not in the way the young Antivan wanted. If the redhead would allow her master to come too close to this innocent soul, her spirit might get crushed for good. Leliana could not allow that to happen and destroy the hopes and dreams of the person who became her friend.

“And tell me, is it everything you imagined it to be? To be a bard…” Leliana pulled from her own thoughts.

“Stimulated enough and with the right ingredients in place,” a smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, “I think it would be more than I ever imagined.” Josephine thought of imitating the other woman and add a wink to enhance her statement, but that would be unlike her and so forced that the more experienced bard would catch it. Therefore, she went with something that was natural and that she was trying to inhibit before. She let the feelings inside her, especially the desire, to be shown in her eyes, the most subtle invitation she could offer the redhead.

“Well then, I guess we should find those right ingredients you were referring to. Everyone knows how bad it can be if you do not have the ingredients you need…” Leliana stared at Josephine and saw that from behind her a waiter was approaching their table with a closed enveloped in hand. He stopped near the table, not too close as to not interrupt, until Leliana nodded that he can come near.

“A letter just came for you, my lady,” he approached the redhead.

“Oh, for me?” Leliana was surprised to receive a letter. “Who left it?” she asked as she was examining the blank envelope.

“I do not know, madame. It was left at the reception desk alongside a message with instructions to be delivered to you.”

“Ah, I see.” Things were already started to fall in place in the bard’s head, gathering all the possibilities that would fall into the pattern.

“Would that be all?” he asked and then looked between the two women.

“Oui, merci beaucoup,” Leliana said with a rehearsed smile. “You may take your leave.”

When the guy was out of range, Josephine asked, intrigued and slightly concerned.

“What do you think that could possibly be? Who does even know you are here?”

Even if it was what Leliana thought it would be, there was no reason to make Josephine panic over it. Whatever was inside that envelope, she could handle.

“Nothing to worry, Josie. Probably Marjolaine forgot to communicate something this morning.”

“Does she always send you letters when you go out like this?” the young woman asked, brow lifted in confusion.

“It would not be the first time, and not that strange either,” Leliana said as she opened the envelope and pulled out a small piece of paper containing indeed Marjolaine’s hand writing.

 

_“My dear sweet Leliana,_

_I hope you are enjoying yourself today and that you had time to relax, considering last night’s tiring circumstances.”_

Leliana’s face started to colour slightly, not enough to be noticed thought, thinking at the stretch Marjolaine’s ‘training’ put her through.

  _“I am sorry to cut your evening short, but do not worry, I have something better to offer you. You are to go to the evening soiree held at the estate of Duke Bastien de Ghislain. You are to infiltrate his office and retrieve something that used to belong to me. You have all the information and a new dress to match those lovely blue satin shoes of yours waiting in your chambers back to my estate._

_Ah, and before I forget, try to include the young Lady Montilyet in your plans as I want to see her at work. I expect a full report on her performance by tomorrow. If you feel keen enough to deliver it tonight, I have a special reward for you, one that would leave you screaming to the Maker and ask for more. Tick-tock, tick-tock._

_Please try and have fun my dear, it always intrigues me to see you like that.”_

The end of the letter was signed with Marjolaine’s name in a stylish hand writing, followed by the crimson trace of a set of lips Leliana knew so well. Just the thought of what her lover was promising made Leliana feel excited by whatever her patron had planned for her.

“Are you alright, Leliana?” Josephine asked from the other side of the table, pulling the redhead out of her reverie.

Leliana answered with a smile as she stood up and took the Antivan’s hand in hers. “Of course I am, silly. Let’s go now.”

“Where are we going exactly?” Josephine asked, not tense, only as an inquiry.

“To find you that missing ingredient,” she replied with a wink and a smirk. 

 

*** 

 

“And how do you plan we do that?” Josephine asked following Leliana in her private chambers.

Leliana went to the desk in the room and picked up two small envelopes. “Well, by attending Duke Bastien’s soiree, of course,” she pointed at the invitations.

“But I have nothing to wear…” Josephine complained looking down at her clothes.

“Don’t be silly, you can borrow anything you want from my closet,” Leliana said as she led he friend towards her own massive wardrobe.

As she opened it, Josephine was truly amazed by the vast collection Leliana had. _They must cost a fortune_ , she thought and then remembered who was Leliana’s patron and lover, and then things started to fall into place.“I-I would not want to take advantage of your kindness, Leliana,” Josephine stammered. “Plus, I do not think I will be able to find anything on my size in your closet.”

“What do you mean, Josephine? You cannot believe that,” the redhead asked with no small amount of confusion.

“Let’s be realistic, Leliana, you are a skinny, fit, gorgeous and a _really_ sensual woman. Even if I would find something to fit me, I do not think that I could wear it like you.”

“Nonsense, Josie!” Leliana spoke before the other woman could continue. “Stop thinking like that.” Leliana took an outfit from the wardrobe, placed her hands on Josephine’s shoulders and spun her around to face the mirror on their left. She then leaned in from behind her friend, outfit in front of Josephine and her lips next to the young bard’s ear. “You are a very beautiful woman. See, this goes well with your shoes. Plus,” she pointed to the mirror, “you look lovely and provocative in this, and you could get anyone to fall for your charms.”

“You really think so?” Josephine turned her head slowly, lips resting extremely close to Leliana’s cheek, not too far from the other bard’s lips. She did not know what made her so bold, but she tried to restrain the urge to turn the other woman around and connect their lips. _No, that would be a mistake. Leliana already has a lover,_ Josephine thought. But even so, she could not take her eyes from the smirk that formed on Leliana’s face.

That smirk only widened as the Orlesian saw Josephine’s expression reflecting in the mirror. Leliana’s hand came to rest on Josephine’s hips as the Antivan took the outfit. The redhead then took a step to the side, her breath caressing Josephine’s ear as she spoke.

“I know that for sure,” she teased and then broke the contact, turning to find the dress Marjolaine left for her on the bed, alongside a set of instructions.

Josephine took a moment to break free from her fantasy and shyly turned to Leliana.“I guess I better give this a try then. Is there somewhere I could get changed?”

With a small smile, Leliana took her eyes from the letter and pointed to the dressing wall used for changing in privacy. With a nod, Josephine left to change in the outfit she received. It was clearly made by a sophisticate Orlesian designer, being more than just a simple dress. It was an outwear dress cut just above the knees, connected at the shoulders with a caped gown that was falling in waves down her arms. The short draped dress was held in the middle by a black belt that was complemented by the dark brown colour of the outfit, with the golden embroidery depicting a lion, the Orlesian symbol.

While Josephine was behind the pavilion wall changing, Leliana finished the letter with the instructions and then she started changing in front of the bed. She picked up the dress left by her lover to look at it, and then she slowly took off the pieces of clothing that she had, until she was left only in her smallclothes. In the meantime, Josephine was already changed, so she wanted to look herself in the mirror. What she saw in it though, left her breathless. From the angle she was in, the mirror reflected the image of Leliana’s naked back. Josephine found that her heartbeat increased and a bolt of pleasure shot straight to her core. When the other bard shifted slowly to her right, Josephine could see the start of Leliana’s breasts. In an instant her heartbeat became a loud and relentless thump in her head, while her mouth was left dry with desire. When she finally realised that Leliana was turning around and that she would be greeted by her friend’s full front nudity, the Antivan felt like she was more than intruding on Leliana’s privacy, so she turned away. After a breathy sigh she found herself able to inhale again, but her cheeks were already red with… something. If it was embarrassment at her own reaction or just desire, Josephine did not know. Either way, she had to calm herself down so she leaned with her back on the pavilion that was separating her from the most amazing woman she knew.

When the room was plunged in silence, no noise that indicated movement, Josephine heard that sweet voice talking to her, but it took her a moment to register.

“How do you find it, Josie?”

“It-It’s perfect, Leliana,” the Antivan replied, her voice just above a whisper.

“Then come out, I’m dying to see you,” the bard said, enthusiasm clear in her voice.

When the younger woman finally made her courage to retreat from her place, she saw Leliana adding the final touches to her outfit. She stopped dead in her tracks, mesmerised by what she saw. Leliana was in a deep blue dress, tight on her slim body, which was falling just above the ground. The V-neck above her breasts and the centre of her waist were decorated with bright jewellery stones. But what took Josephine’s breath was Leliana’s naked left leg that was visible due to the high cut in the front of the dress. She was wearing the shoes she bought earlier that day, the high heel of which was piercing the mattress of her bed, as the bard had her leg lifted in order to fasten a dagger on the upper part of her thigh, close to the joining of her legs. Josephine found herself unable to take her eyes from what Leliana’s hands were doing, and she imagined how it would be like if she could replace them with hers.

Leliana saw her friend’s hesitation and the way she was staring at her, so she decided to play a little to see how much Josephine would reveal.

“Is something wrong, Josie?” Leliana asked feinting concern and succeeding.

“N-nothing’s w-wrong. I was just… aa… admiring your,” Josephine had to swallow a nod forming in her throat before continuing, “your dagger.”

Seeing her friend completely overwhelmed, Leliana had to suppress a giggle. “My dagger, is that so? What of it?” she asked with her brows raised in a questioning look.

“I was just, aa…” Josephine was trying really hard to come up with a proper excuse but had none. “I was wondering why do you need it?” _Yes, right, that is exactly what I was doing, questioning why she needs a dagger… stupid._

“Well, I am a bard, non?”

Josephine nodded, accepting the obvious response and then allowed Leliana to continue. “Too often people neglect the most important tool in one’s arsenal for close combat: the dagger. Be it strapped to one’s thigh and hidden under a dress or just the humble boot-knife, it is for a reason the weapon favoured by assassins and bards. It’s easy to see why the short blade has a poor reputation amongst the chevaliers or soldiers who dream of charging into battle to gain glory by killing foes with a longsword or even a greatsword, but for us…” she paused as she approached Josephine, “for us it is our best friend. A concealed blade,” she pointed on the one he just hid, “can cut your bonds free in the event of a capture, it can give you a fighting chance should you be disarmed of your main weapon, it can skin an animal you just hunted on a trail, and practicing with one can teach you about mobility in close combat. And that is exactly what a bard needs.” As she ended her lesson, Leliana smiled at her friend who did not recover completely, and asked her one more thing. “Do you have a dagger?”

“I-I do, but not with me.” Josephine felt embarrassed that she was caught unprepared.

“The dagger should never be out of your reach. I can give you one of mine.”

“Thank you, Leliana. I appreciate you helping me.”

“You do not have to thank me, Josie. But I _could_ use your help with something.”

“Anything, Leliana.”

In that moment, the more experienced bard’s smile turned into a smirk and she turned with her back at the friend.

“Could you please be so kind and help me zip my dress? I could not reach there without fearing that I might ruin it.” Leliana said holding her long hair with her right hand and bringing it around her left shoulder. With the motion she revealed the same naked back, shoulders and neck that Josephine saw earlier.

Of course what Leliana said was a lie. She was perfectly able to dress herself, but she previously caught the other woman staring at her in the reflection of the mirror, as she turned. Lost for words, Josephine could only nod and then took hold of Leliana’s zipper with one hand, while the other was resting on the Orlesian’s back. This time Josephine did not allow herself to fade out, instead she focused on memorising what she was doing. With her right hand she was pulling up the zipper, while her left one was caressing the redhead, tracing the line of her spine. All too soon the job was done, but the Antivan was not ready to let go of her friend. Instead, she let her hands touch Leliana’s shoulder blades, slowly moving up to her shoulders. Her attention was immediately drawn to the Orlesian’s pulse point, her blood flowing more rapidly through there. It was the only sign she needed to know that she was having the same effect on the other woman, like Leliana had on her. With a smirk pulling at a corner of her mouth, Josephine allowed herself to be bolder and continue tracing her hands on Leliana’s collarbone.

It may have started for Leliana as a teasing game, but soon enough she found herself being the teased one. Feeling Josephine touch her back like that, Leliana allowed herself to relish the intimate moment and closed her eyes, focusing on those soft hands touching her shoulders, her collarbones, her neck, and making their way into her long, red hair, massaging her scalp. She could feel her heart beating faster, her pulse increasing with the anticipation of Josephine’s next move. She was pretty sure that the change in her demeanour did not go unnoticed by the other bard, but the feeling was too good to even try and supress it.

Josephine felt Leliana relax in her hands, their bodies so close that they were touching. She allowed her left hand to stay in the other woman’s hair, while her right one traced the pulse point once again. This time she could feel every rush of blood flowing underneath her fingers, and she was dying to feel those rapid thumps under her lips. Gently pulling Leliana’s head on the side to reveal some more, Josephine lowered her lips to Leliana’s neck. She first let her hot breath tease her friend’s skin, pulling a soft moan from the other woman.

Leliana felt her body stiffen and a quick rush of fluids forming in her core the moment Josephine’s warm breath touched her skin. She did not even realise the half moan she let escape until it was too late. Her heart was now pounding in anticipation, and luckily for her, Josephine did not delay her next action too much. If that was Leliana, she would take more time to tease, but clearly Josephine was hungry to feel her lips connecting with Leliana’s neck. This time the Orlesian did not stop her moan, which sent a new bolt of lightning through both their bodies. Josephine felt her arousal increase, realising she was the one pulling those wonderful sounds from Leliana. With her newfound desire, the Antivan became impatient and she let her teeth graze the spot she previously kissed.

Leliana almost allowed herself to go weak in Josephine’s arms, but she was forced to end everything when she heard a knock on the door and saw the knob rotate. With a sudden movement she escaped Josephine’s embrace and steeled her attitude, like nothing happened. It was extremely hard to do so, but she could not allow them to be caught like that. She was not worried for her well-being as her actions would have no consequences, but Josephine was not in the same position as she was. If Leliana would take a lover that Marjolaine would not approve, or one that she did not plan on using, then her master would go to immense efforts to ensure that Leliana was only hers. And she was Marjolaine’s. Leliana loved the other woman more than anything, but she just felt so good receiving all the attention from the Antivan noble. But before all, Josephine was her friend and Leliana would not put her life in danger like that.

When the door opened, Leliana saw one of the elven servant girls standing in the door.

“Sorry to bother you, miss, but they sent me to fetch you. Your carriage awaits.”

The servant opened the door fully and she could see Josephine now, feeling as embarrassed as she was. Being a servant in Orlais for a high born noble, and especially for one mastering the game, meant that you had to have some amount of training to play the game yourself. She obviously saw that the stranger was taken by Leliana’s beauty, but she could not fault her for that. The redhead was the kindest person she ever knew and she treated everyone the same, including the elven and human servants. She was also extremely beautiful to look at, so most of the servants were indeed feeling the same as Josephine in her presence.

Seeing that it was not Marjolaine herself but one of the servant girls, Leliana gave her a genuine smile and let the unease creep out of her.

“Thank you, Norana. I will be there quickly.”

“Is there anything else I can help with, miss?” Norana asked, unable to leave Leliana’s presence just yet. My, the bard looked gorgeous in her new dress.

“There’s no need, Norana, thank you. I’ve got it from here,” came Leliana’s sweet voice.

“Are you-Are you sure, miss? The mistress asked us to ensure that we help you with anything you need…” the elf lowered her gaze to the ground, hoping that Leliana’s patron would be kind enough not to punish her for not providing everything for her most precious.

“Is that so?” Leliana asked suspiciously, thinking at the consequences her actions might bring Norana. When the elf silently nodded, Leliana got the answer she needed.“Very well then. If you would be so kind, could you let the carriage driver know that my friend and I will be there in a few minutes and then wait for me in the lobby with my ivory coat? That would be really helpful,” Leliana smiled again, reassuring the girl that she was doing this just to help her escape the possible wrath of her master.

Norana lifted her head from the ground with newfound hope in her eyes.“Right away, miss,” she said and then she left. Leliana could swear she saw happiness on the small elf’s face.

The bard then turned to her friend who stood there silently the whole time. She was playing in her head over and over again the moments before being interrupted, feeling ashamed of herself, but not quite regretting them. Leliana looked at Josephine’s face, studying it and thinking what would be the best course of action. She wanted to talk about what happened, or about what was going to happen if not for Norana’s interruption, but the unease on Josephine’s face made her drop it. Instead she pretended that nothing happened, and Josephine was grateful for it.

When Josephine felt Leliana pull away from her at the sound of someone entering the chambers, a feeling of emptiness crept in her whole body. She did not want Leliana to be away from her and her heart ached at the separation. Even after the elven girl left them alone once more, Josephine was still having the same feeling. She saw the Orlesian turn towards her and she wanted to speak, they both wanted to speak, but no words were shared between them for what seemed like ages. Leliana was the first one to break the silence, and luckily for Josephine she did not mentioned what happened earlier. Otherwise, the Antivan was sure that she would not be able to stop herself from kissing Leliana, and causing her more trouble.

“I promised you a dagger, didn’t I?” came that soothing voice that was filling her head once more with indecent thoughts. Josephine pushed back her feelings and with a smile she tried to make the atmosphere return to normal.

“You did say something about a dagger that should not be absent from a bard’s requisite, yes.”

“Right, well, here is yours,” the redhead offered her friend a dagger that she just took from the inside of a drawer.

Josephine’s eyes widened in surprise at the beautiful dagger in her hands. Its blade was slightly curved at the tip and the handle was crafted from ivory bone.“It’s really beautiful, Leliana, but you should not!”

Leliana smiled at the awed woman. “Nonsense! It might save your life. I am glad you like it. It was my first dagger, and now it’s yours. As a gift!”

“I-I cannot take it, Leli. It was _your first_ dagger!” Josephine offered it back to the bard.

“And now it is yours. It would mean a lot to me if you would take it. It protected me many times when I needed it. I would feel safer if you would have it, Josie.” Leliana said, placing her hand on her friend’s shoulder and gently squeezed it.

Josephine followed Leliana’s hand with her gaze before looking the other bard in the eyes and seeing concern in them. She wrapped her fingers around the handle of the blade and then touched Leliana’s hand with hers, before speaking.

“I, thank you, Leliana. It means a lot. Now I have to think of a way to repay you,” she gave the redhead a shy smile.

“You can definitely find a way to repay me later, but now we have somewhere to be,” she gave Josephine a wink and then went to retrieve the invitations. 

 

*** 

 

The women entered the estate together, both of them wearing Orlesian masks. Looking around they saw a high number of people already present. The nobility was dressed in opulent dresses adorned in embroideries that ranged from ridiculous to classy, all of them sparkling in the dim light and reflecting intriguing patterns on the ballroom floor as they danced. Leliana searched for her lover’s presence while keeping Josephine and whoever approached them entertained. After a long search she could not find any trace of Marjolaine, so she just let it go. As much as she wanted to speak to her lover, she had a job to do and she was certain that Marjolaine would be the one to find her when the time was right. If that meant that they would have to run in different circles, so be it, the redhead had time after the soiree ended to meet with her lover.

“So, what is that we are doing here, Leliana?” Josephine’s voice brought the bard back to the present time.

“Have fun?” Leliana giggled.

“Oh, well we can have fun in many different ways. Do you have any particular one in mind?” Josephine teased.

“As I think you could see from the mask you are wearing, tonight we are different people. You are not Josephine Montilyet, and I am not Leliana. You can be whomever you want and you will have to seduce a target, we both have to. What target, alas, that I do not know, but at some point during the night it will be revealed.” Josephine could see excitement in her friend’s eyes.

“So, where should we start?”

“Let’s try and mingle to get a better view of this whole event, maybe even uncover some gossip and secrets here and there.”

“Do you want to go together, or split up?”

Leliana took hold of Josephine’s hand and guided her to the first group of victims of the night. “Let’s divide and conquer for now, what do you say?” she asked her friend with a wink.

“I say that sounds like fun.” Josephine let herself be carried by Leliana.

Oh, it was so easy for the two of them to wrap everyone around their fingers. While Leliana was distracting the women with her exotic stories and seduction skills, Josephine was handling the males, playing the innocent young noble card. Without realising what the women were doing, the targets were easily letting secrets slip and falling for them. It went like that for quite a while and Leliana could not complain that it was not entertaining to work together with Josephine, but she was dying to know who her target would be. The people she played were all ones that she knew Marjolaine wanted to have in her pocket, and besides the item she had to retrieve from the duke’s office, she could not find anything else that Marjolaine would want from her. Then maybe her target is the duke himself? He was the only person Leliana could have thought of, but that seemed too unlikely giving the fact that he fell for her master not too long ago. The answer to her question came when she stopped a waiter for a glass of champagne, and with it, he also slipped a closed envelope that contained a letter. With a knowing look towards Josephine and an excuse to the group of people she was currently a part of, Leliana retreated to a secluded place where she opened the letter addressed to her.

 

 _“My pretty thing,_ _I am once more pleased to see that you accommodated well tonight and that you made your way through all the circles of nobility. I carefully watched how easy it all was for you, and I am here to provide a challenge, one that would make things so much more interesting. You may now ask yourself who is your real target tonight, as no one is capable of resisting your charms. Well, no one but the person who taught you everything you know._

_Without further ado, I present you your target, no one other than myself. But that is not it. While you are the huntress tonight, you are also the prey as someone else will have their eyes on you. The challenge is to resist the temptations and to seduce your target. Tonight you play the first game that you cannot lose. If you give in to the temptations along the way, it is nothing that you will not enjoy to the maximum. But whatever the outcome, you are to see me tonight. If you do succeed and seduce your target, you are definitely in for a long night, and if you do not… then I will have to punish you for it._

_You think you are up to it, pretty thing?_

_Marjolaine”_

 

Exactly like her patron said, Leliana was looking forward to the challenge, and especially for what would come after. After reading the letter twice she found something strange, the fact that she had nothing to lose. Indeed, she had so much to gain if she could make her lover submit to her for once, but what was the real game behind it? _What game are you playing, Marjolaine?_

The redhead returned to the party and went back to Josephine and the other people she left minutes earlier. On the way there she kept thinking how she could win this. She could not use the same tricks as before, because the woman would never fall for something that she masters. But even with the experienced players of the game, the goal was the same one, find your target’s weakness and exploit it. But what would be Marjolaine’s? What made her change the pattern of the missions she gave to Leliana?

She could not focus too much on finding the answers as Josephine distracted her. The Antivan started making the gentlemen they were previously seducing go and refill their drinks, leaving them alone. When Josephine was sure that no one would hear her she leaned in and whispered to Leliana.

“While you were gone I found out who my target is, and I already have a plan of action. Could you help me with it?”

“Of course, Josie. Who is your target?”

“I am afraid the rules of the game do not allow me to divulge who that is.” The Antivan woman feinted sadness and to her surprise, Leliana did not find anything wrong with that.

“Okay, what plan do you have?”

“I think my target needs a little push before acting, otherwise it might be too shy. So, dance with me?” Josephine asked with a smile as she touched Leliana’s arm.

 _‘A little push’, that is it! I know what her weakness is and how to exploit it._ “Josie, you are a genius! That is exactly what I need.” She looked into the Antivan’s eyes, excitement written on her face. “I would love to dance with you, my lady.” She spoke out loud and allowed the young noble to take her to dance.

The first part of her plan worked better than Josephine thought it would, and Leliana did not suspect anything. She was oblivious that she was the target assigned to the young bard. But was it right to play her friend like that? Josephine was happy to try and continue what they started back in Leliana’s chambers, but how would the other bard feel if she knew that she was being played? Would she think that it was just a game for Josephine, while it was obvious that it was so much more? Thinking about before, Leliana was willing to let things develop further if they would not have been interrupted, so would she really mind if they would pick up from where they left? She did not want to step the line, but it might be the only chance she had. She owned herself to at least try. If things would not go as she wanted them, she could stop any time.

“How is it going with your target Josie, do you have him yet?” Leliana whispered while they started dancing, bodies close to each other. The more experienced bard knew that Marjolaine would be watching her, so at least she could start building the jealousy in there.

“Oh, no, not yet. I do not think it even realises what is happening.” Josephine just went with the flow, letting Leliana make assumptions. That does not count as lying, right?

“I am sure that is not true, Josie. You are a very beautiful woman, just offer him something to focus on.” Leliana tried to help her friend.

Josephine pulled Leliana closer, her lips brushing the tip of the redhead’s ear. “How is this then?”

The Orlesian felt her heart jump at the sudden contact and her moves halted for a slight second.“Ah, you are trying to make him jealous then? If so, it is a good tactic,” the redhead said as she mimicked Josephine and leaned in even closer.

Her body was already feeling the pleasant consequences of being so close to Leliana’s even though she wished all the people around them would fade. “I hope it works then.” She replied, but knew that was not enough. “I do not think I told you, _Leli_ , but you look stunning in this dress. I believe you will have no problems seducing your target.”

The way Josephine spoke her endearment, the way they were swaying on the music, the way Josephine’s breath touched the sensitive skin of her neck, everything made Leliana forget what she was supposed to do and just enjoy the moment. She knew she cannot let herself be distracted like that, but she could not help it. Marjolaine said that was going to happen. _Marjolaine said… how did she knew I would-? Hmm, I cannot believe she did this! I cannot believe she made me Josephine’s target. What is your gain from all of this, Marjolaine? Do you really want me to fall for her? No, of course you do not, and that is why you will lose._ “Two can play this game,” she whispered only for herself.

“I am not so sure I want to finish the game now, not when this is so pleasant.” It was not a complete lie, she was indeed unsure if she wanted to finish the game and play right into Marjolaine’s hand, and Josephine’s company was bringing her pleasure.

Hearing Leliana’s words, Josephine found herself out of breath again and did not know how to react. She was slightly panicking, not expecting that from the other bard. The redhead pulled away in order to look at her friend, who was blushing, even though it was not very visible on her darker skin. “Are you feeling alright, Josie? Do you want to go for some fresh air?”

Feeling Leliana’s body emanating a new wave of heat that just collided with her own, already flushed skin, she definitely felt like some fresh air would do her good. “Some fresh air would be great, actually.”

“Follow me,” Leliana said as she pulled away and guided Josephine to the nearest balcony.

The night sky was clear, the stars and moon adding to the artificial dim light the balcony had, casting shadows on the tiled floor. They stopped near the railing, a spot the Orlesian chose carefully. It was the least lightened place, and she knew if someone would be watching from inside, the only thing they would see would be two silhouettes. Josephine observed how Leliana’s dress was slightly moving with the wind, but she was too shy to say anything about it. Instead, Leliana was the first one to talk.

“Are you feeling better, Josie? I know how loud it can be in there.”

“I am much better, Leliana, thank you for your concern.”

“I hope you feel better in no time, it would be a shame to let your target slip away like that. Not that I mind the company you keep me.” The redhead teased once again.

“Maybe my target will not slip away after all. The night is still young.”

“That it is, indeed. It makes me wonder, what do you plan on doing after you seduced your target? Like you said, the night is still young and plenty can happen until the morning.”

“Well aa, ah…” Josephine stammered. “I did not plan so far ahead, and I am afraid that if I _do_ succeed, something tells me that I will be in over my head.”

“That cannot be true, surely you know your way around men.”

“Around men, maybe, but… my target is not a man.”

“Oh, so a woman then. That is even more exciting. But I do not see how it makes a difference.”

“What if that is not the problem? What if the problem is that if I allow myself to finish the game, then I will be left wanting for more, not just a single night.” Josephine did not even realised that she blurted out her insecurities like that.

“Then you _should_ ask for more.” Leliana replied, her heart beating faster in her chest at the thought.

“That is simply not possible. I am afraid my target is not available for such a thing.”

Leliana heard the smallest sound, like a leaf flying through the air and touching the ground, and she could swear she saw a shadow from the corner of her eye. That could not be a simple coincidence, not on a night like this. Her plan was apparently working and if Marjolaine was curious about the development between the two, then she had to move closer in order to hear or see what was happening. But Leliana was not ready to let her lover hear just yet, she would just have to settle with seeing a bit more.

“Do you want to know a secret?” Leliana asked Josephine in the most suave voice possible. She received her response as a nod. Apparently the Antivan was not the only person intrigued by the question, so was her special guest. She placed her hands on the younger woman’s hips and whispered in her ear, wanting to intrigue her lover. “With the right choices, everyone is available, nothing is out of reach. And you, my dear Josie, are a woman hard to say no to.”

Josephine had to swallow the nod forming in her throat and to think of something fast to say. “I aa… well, that is of great help. “ Josephine paused for a second. “Please forgive me, Leliana, I do not think I thanked you for helping me back there.”

“I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Such a gracious woman deserves nothing less,” she emphasized the point by staring into Josephine’s eyes, making the other woman blush once more.

“I... such talk. I'm quite overcome,” the Antivan managed to maintain her posture this time.

“Should I stop?” Leliana asked playfully.

“Oh, no. I mean yes! I mean no, I don't...” Josephine paused. “Well, if you meant to draw a blush to my cheeks, you've _completely_ succeeded. Let’s return to the evening before anyone notices we are missing.”

Leliana had to give it to her, Josephine held together nicely and she was quite impressed with it. _I guess Marjolaine got the information she needed on Josie. That will make the reporting much easier. Now, let’s see if the plan worked._

As they returned to the party at Josephine’s insistencies, Leliana was proud to see that her little game had the desired effect and she draw Marjolaine out in the open for the first time tonight. Jealousy was creeping on her and even if that was a risky thing, the redhead had everything under control. But now she has provoked her master, and Marjolaine was responding in kind.

The way she walked towards Leliana and the small group of people, with the duke in hand and a refined poised made the people turn their heads around. Her beauty was outdoing almost everyone in the room, but she had eyes only for one. With a glare her eyes met Leliana’s across the hall and a warm sensation passed through the redhead’s body, freezing her in place. Marjolaine’s gaze was pinning Leliana where she was and the young bard felt like she was staring into the sun. Slowly, there was nothing around her, no chatter, no music, no people dancing, only Leliana and her patron, and she was feeling nothing but her look. That look that was stripping away any notion of control that Leliana had, the same look that build inside her the need for approval. The colour of her eyes was the one that was standing out from the crowd. It was the colour of lust, desire, passion and seduction, and Leliana knew very well that she fell into the webs of her lover’s charms. Slowly the pair made their way towards the two bards, the people gathered around them and the duke finally addressed them with something, but it was all lost for the redhead.

Josephine on the other hand was not the interest of Marjolaine’s game, so she was left to talk with the noble man and to make polite conversations.

“How are the two beautiful ladies enjoying the night?” the charming duke addressed the Antivan.

“The party is lovely my lord, and the band is great.” Josephine was trying really hard not to let anything slip by Marjolaine and get Leliana in trouble.

“They are, aren’t they? Too bad the evening is coming to an end and we won’t be able to hear the beautiful melodies. What do you think, my dear Marjolaine?” the duke asked, not knowing the opening he was making for the bard master.

“They are… decent enough. I heard better,” she replied, not taking her eyes off of her most precious toy.

“You did? Then I guess you will have to invite me to your next party to delight my ears.” The duke attempted and failed to flirt with the woman in his arms.

“Why wait so long, my dear Bastien, when Leliana over here can provide that delightment for us all. I tell you, ending your evening with her beautiful voice, there will be talks about this night for weeks to come.” Marjolaine raised the challenge, her voice oozing confidence.

“I-I would not want to impose on my guests…” he said, focusing his attention on the bard in question.

“There would be no imposing, my lord. I would love to sing for you and your audience. That is why I live to entertain…” the words were really meant for her patron, showing her that she would not be manoeuvred that easily.

With a bow, Duke Bastien offered Leliana his hand and took her to where the band was, leaving a stunned Marjolaine and a confused Josephine behind. He then addressed his guests, making the announcement that he had something special prepared to wrap up the festivities and put Leliana on a spotlight. It was all that the bard needed to play her hand, and Marjolaine walked straight into it.

Leliana took her position in front of the band, the light falling on her, putting her qualities on a show. All the eyes in the room were on her again. As the band started playing a soft tune on violins and piano, Leliana began her seduction game, every word that left her mouth spoken for her lover. Her powerful and resonant voice easily filled up the room, without the slightest wavering in pitch. The sharpness of her voice was allowing her to pierce through the instrumentation and through the hearts of everyone in the room.

But Leliana was not aiming at everyone in the room, her attention was on the two women that wanted, well… her. In order to win the game and prove to Marjolaine that she can be the one in control, Leliana was making it look like she was singing for Josephine’s ears alone, when she was actually aiming at the older woman behind the Antivan.

Everything about the redhead was enticing, not only the enchanting melody coming from her lips accompanied by promising words. The sparkle in her eyes, the graceful, perfect movements, her alluring beauty, the way the light was shining on her perfect skin, the way her hair sparkled like stardust had fallen into it, everything was calling the two women to meet her deep blue eyes and get lost in them. And the moment they did, Leliana smiled and she knew she had them both. But she still went on and sang her charming song, words meant for her lover, and her alone.

 

 _“Le ciel bleu sur nous peut s'effondrer_  
_Et la terre peut bien s'écrouler_  
_Peu m'importe si tu m'aimes_  
_Je me fous du monde entier_  
_Tant que l'amour inondera mes matins_  
_Tant que mon corps frémira sous tes mains_  
_Peu m'importent les problèmes_  
_Mon amour puisque tu m'aimes_

 _J'irais jusqu'au bout du monde_  
_Je me ferais teindre en blonde_  
_Si tu me le demandais_  
_J'irais décrocher la lune_  
_J'irais voler la fortune_  
_Si tu me le demandais_

 _Je renierais ma patrie_  
_Je renierais mes amis_  
_Si tu me le demandais_  
_On peut bien rire de moi_  
_Je ferais n'importe quoi_  
_Si tu me le demandais_ ”

 

Hearing Leliana singing about her body trembling under her hands, or about going to the end of the world for her, stealing fortunes for her, take down the moon itself, or about renouncing her country and her friends if she would ask her to, tickled Marjolaine’s ego and she realised that her most precious toy had won. Marjolaine loved a good game, and apparently Leliana did all the right things to not only capture her interest, but to find her weakness and exploit it. And her weakness was Leliana.

A round of applause followed the end of the song and then the duke encouraged people to move to different areas and clear the floor. He then walked Leliana back to her master and Josephine, both of them taken by the redhead’s charms.

The duke was the first one to speak, praising Leliana to her patron. ”Marjolaine, ton barde était formidable!”

Marjolaine, who was sizing Leliana up and down, let a smirk show on her face. “She is _something_ ¸ isn’t she? As much as I would let you find more about the great qualities Leliana has, I think we have some things to discuss, don’t we, Bastien?” she turned her attention towards the host and led him away.

“Yes, yes, we do. Pardon me ladies, I hope our paths will meet again soon.” With a bow he took his leave.

When Marjolaine walked past Leliana, she placed a letter with further instructions and a key into Leliana’s hands. That did not go unnoticed by the Antivan either so she took the opportunity to speak first.

“Well, I guess you won. The duke did not realise what happened to him. Congratulations.” She said with a genuine smile meant for her friend.

Leliana was taken aback, not knowing if she should continue with the deceit or not. “It was not him the person I wanted to seduce,” she gave Josephine a look the younger woman did not have time to place before her friend continued, “but I guess I did win… How about you?”

“Me, I lost sight of my mission and allowed my target to get to me. Not that I mind it really. It was, entertaining, to say the least. I guess my night is over, while yours just began,” she said pointing to the letter and key Leliana was holding.

In the aftermath of the events, she realised what was Marjolaine’s game from the beginning. The bard master was aware of Leliana’s skills and she knew that she will find her weakness and exploit it, but she was prepared for that to happen. That is why she included Josephine into the game. Not because she was interested in becoming her master, but because she could use her. Not only use her, but make Leliana use the connection that was developing between them to get to Marjolaine. She flirted with Josephine and got close to her only to make Marjolaine jealous. It was not like back in her chambers where their feelings were out in the open, this time she manipulated Josephine’s feelings for her own benefit. She even told Marjolaine in the song that she would renounce her friends for her, all the while she made Josephine believe that she was ready to give them a chance, no matter what Marjolaine or the whole world felt about it.

This was just a lesson her master taught her; that one might think that they have the upper hand and lose focus of the reality. It was a valuable lesson that she realised in the end, and that was the actually victory. And now she was able to just go and take her prize, leaving Josephine all alone. She decided to wait instead and do justice by her friend.

“Actually, this does not matter. Come on, allow me to walk you home.” Leliana hooked her arm around Josephine and took her leave, but did not abandon the letter or the keys. She would have to return later, when the party would be over and her master would be free.

 

***

 

Leliana walked Josephine home and they gossiped about the people they manipulated earlier in the night and how easily they revealed their secrets. They ended the day as they started, as friends, and now Leliana was free to return to Duke Bastien’s estate. Keeping to the shadows she used the key she had and entered the duke’s office. She expected to find her master there, but instead there was just another clue, pointing to Marjolaine’s mansion. Apparently she did such a good job that her patron was waiting for her in her private chambers. Luckily the walk was not too long, and she could rush back to her master. It was the middle of the night and she expected some guards and servants to be on patrol or awake, but to her surprise the whole place was dead. To make things more interesting, all the entrances and low level windows were locked. The only open window was the one leading to Marjolaine’s chambers, and she knew that was not a coincidence. Apparently her lover expected her to work a bit more before receiving her reward.

She climbed the nearest tree and then carefully walked on a branch that was brushing against the wall. When she knew that she cannot walk further without the branch giving up, Leliana jumped and caught herself on the window sill. With the slightest of efforts she climbed into the room and she was immediately greeted by the older bard, who pinned her to the nearest wall.

“So glad you could make it.” She said before having a closer look at her minstrel. Seeing Leliana’s hair ruffled she could not help but tease. “Ooh, pretty thing. Out of breath, hair in a state-- You'd be a scandal if we were to return to the party. But you love it,” she added in a sultry voice.

Leliana was not even close to give away the advantage she earned earlier in the night. “If I am not mistaken, you want me this way.”

“Well of course, my pretty thing. That was my plan for you all along and you masterly succeeded. I am quite impressed with the show you put tonight, making me fall for your charms.” The bard master emphasised by pressing Leliana harder to the wall.

“We both know that me seducing you was not what you wanted to show me. The real lesson that I learned tonight was to never trust that you are in control of a game, because you might get played. With the right distractions, the hunter becomes the prey, am I right?”

“Oh Leliana, how clever you are. Yes, that was my real plan, the seduction game was just something to give you the right incentive. But as I was teaching you this precious lesson, I lost sight of what I was preaching and what started as a game became very soon quite real,” she paused, letting out a heavy breath. “Why must you play with me like that, pretty thing? Why make me jealous one minute and the next make me hold on to your every word and crave for you?” she let her breath touch Leliana’s earlobe before taking it in between her teeth.

“Because you taught me that everything is permitted, non? What are some distractions if you do get to the final goal?” Leliana took advantage of the loose hands that were pinning hers above her head and broke free, getting a hold of her master’s hips.

“We are done with distractions. Now I have something special in mind. There will be no rest for us tonight, my dear.” With that, Marjolaine took a hold of Leliana’s lips, delving her tongue inside the younger bard’s mouth, pulling out a moan.

One of Marjolaine’s hands took hold of Leliana’s neck, fingers intertwining in her long hair, while the other one slowly made its way towards the high cut of the redhead’s dress, taking hold of her leg. With a sudden movement she lifted it and wrapped it around her hips, making Leliana moan in pleasure and break the kiss. The bard master then reached for the dagger as her lips found her apprentice’s neck. She began nibbling and leaving bite marks down her neck and collarbone while her hand found the secluded dagger hidden underneath the dress and unsheathed it. Carefully and with an almost inhuman precision she dragged the tip of the blade up Leliana’s thigh, not hard enough to pierce the skin. The sharp feeling and the cold metal against her sensitive skin, combined with the hot breath on her neck, made the young bard’s anticipation hit the roof. She was grateful that her master was ravishing her with all she had, but she wanted more. Images of how Marjolaine looked at her earlier in the day, all the promises she left as a trail for the bard, and flashes of what happened the previous night flooded Leliana’s mind. She was suddenly filled with desire that continued to grow in size, and all she wanted was the sweet release.

Leliana tightened her grip on her master’s hips and with her teeth scraped her ear, knowing how sensitive Marjolaine was in the area. The desired outcome came really soon, and the bard master released her hair and took hold of Leliana’s other thigh, lifting her above the ground and into her arms. Marjolaine turned with Leliana and took the victor to the bed, where she proceeded taking off Leliana’s dress. She needed to have her naked for what was to come. Leaving her only in her smallclothes, no breast band in place, Marjolaine kissed Leliana passionately one more time, before she lowered her mouth and concentrated on the other woman’s chest. With one of her hands she started massaging one of Leliana’s breast, while the other one was enjoying the feeling of the older woman’s tongue running circles around the nipple. As soon as the bud started hardening she took it in between her teeth and applied a bit of pressure, making Leliana’s core thump in pleasure. Needing the young woman completely naked she took off Leliana’s panties as well. Then, with a small adjustment of her body, Marjolaine lifted her leg in between Leliana’s thighs, applying pressure and when she swapped to the other breast, offering the same treatment, she felt a wave of liquid wetting her leg. After taking care of both breasts, which left Leliana panting and moaning for more, Marjolaine continued trailing kisses down the redhead’s abdomen and hips, biting here and there. From her hips she made her way towards the centre of Leliana’s lower abdomen, but instead of offering the other woman the release she wanted, she pulled her tongue and traced the two symmetrical lines where her thighs were connecting with Leliana’s core. Going even lower, but not where Leliana needed her most, she started kissing one of the thighs, while slowly massaging the other one. As she went to offer the other thigh the same treatment, she felt Leliana’s scent flooding all her senses and making her own sex grow impatient. Halfway through the other thigh, she decided against it and with a sudden movement, her tongue found the younger bard’s folds.

When she felt Marjolaine’s tongue touch her sex, Leliana’s eyes shot close and her back arched involuntarily in pleasure, a breathy moan leaving her mouth. Seeing her lover giving in to her and to the pleasure made Marjolaine want more from Leliana and her tongue found the throbbing bud of her clit, running circles around it and applying pressure. She then heard Leliana’s breaths hitch and she saw her chest moving rapidly up and down. She felt how close to release the redhead was, but she wanted to taste more before giving the other bard what she earned. But as Leliana’s moans became louder and more desperate, the same happened to Marjolaine who wanted to bring the girl over the edge and hear her scream her name to the Maker.

Feeling herself dizzy from the desire, she brought one of her hands up Leliana’s thigh and then with a finger she started teasing the redhead’s entrance. The pleasure the young bard got from the tongue on her clit and the finger that teased her entrance was extremely good, but it left her wanting some more. She needed more and Marjolaine was the one who could offer her what she wanted.

“More, please… I want more.” She finally relented her control and begged her lover.

Usually Marjolaine would tease her about it and make Leliana beg some more, but not this time. This time _she_ really needed to make Leliana come and feel her inner walls squeeze around her fingers. She stopped the movements of her tongue for a moment so she could speak. Marjolaine lifted her head from between Leliana’s legs and watched her lover’s face as she slipped a finger inside her.

“How could I deny your pretty face what you desire?” After a few strokes in and out that coated her finger completely in her lover’s liquid, Marjolaine added another one, pulling out a scream from that beautiful mouth she leaned and kissed. Following a steady rhythm only accentuated by the movements of her tongue with Leliana’s, she brought the young woman on the edge. When their kiss ended, Leliana opened her eyes and Marjolaine could see in them the silent desire and the plea to be completely taken by the experienced woman. Knowing that the redhead would come undone for her, and only her, gave Marjolaine the incentive she needed to lower her mouth and take once more the stiffen bud of Leliana’s clit into her mouth. As the young bard let out a scream, Marjolaine allowed herself to succumb to the urge that was growing inside her and she curved her fingers, touching the spot that she knew would make Leliana come for her.

The combination of Marjolaine’s fingers and her tongue, added to how hungry she was for release, pushed Leliana over the edge and her inner muscles started convulsing involuntarily. She rode her first orgasm on Marjolaine’s hand, but the older bard wanted more. She allowed Leliana to relax for a bit, before pushing her fingers in and making the young woman moan again.

“Yes, my sweet thing, come for me. I will give you exactly what you need, so come for me.” Were the words Leliana heard that pushed her over the edge again, this time liquid splashing on the other bard’s hand and out of her. Not wanting to waste anything, Marjolaine swapped, her tongue taking the place of her fingers and capturing Leliana’s release, while her thumb was guiding the young woman through the aftermath of her pleasure. Marjolaine knew that Leliana was done when her voice was barely a whisper, not being able to shout anymore, at the same time her muscles started to relax. The bard master did not stop though, gently moving her tongue up and down and prolonging Leliana’s pleasure as much as she could, taking in all that the young woman would offer. Soon enough Leliana’s body relaxed completely, and not even the gentle strokes of Marjolaine’s tongue would make her body come back from the slump it fell in.

Marjolaine pulled herself up and pressed a kiss on Leliana’s lips. When the young bard responded to it, she allowed her tongue to slip inside the redhead’s mouth, allowing her to taste her release off Marjolaine’s tongue. Taking the heavy taste, which she identified as hers, off her lover's lips made Leliana’s core give another jerk, which did not go unnoticed by her patron.

“I see you are ready for another round…” the bard master said with a smirk. “Good, because we have so much work to do until the dawn…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The balcony dialogue is inspired by Josephine's romance in Inquisition. As for Leliana's dialogue with Marjolaine, that is from Leliana's Song and also inspired by Origins.
> 
> I want to thank my good friend for correcting my rusty French and ensure that I am not making a fool of myself. As for the french song performed by Leliana, it is "Hymne à L'Amour" by Edith Piaf, but the version I imagined is the one performed by Celine Dion at the American Music Awards 2015, as a tribute to all the victims of terrorists attacks in Paris (nothing related to the story, it is just a powerful interpretation that stuck with me). The reason why I chose this song in particular is because of its lyrics and how well they fit the scene I imagined. I think that Leliana telling her lover in so many different ways how she would give up everything for her would really win Marjolaine over. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed it, stay tuned for more updates in the days to come.


	3. Nitimur In Vetitum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, long time coming for this one as well, but I can finally see it through.  
> Please note the explicit content at the beginning of the chapter, which I felt crucial to detail the relationship between Leliana and her bard master.

Chapter III - Nitimur In Vetitum

 

 

A breeze of air cooled a patch on her face that was previously warmed by the sunlight. The same sunlight that was casting an orange hue on her closed eyelids. Shielding the bright light away with her hand, Leliana tried to open her eyes and force herself to get out of the bed. By the inconvenience the light caused her, she knew it was close to noon. It did not feel as she got enough rest after a day – and a night – like the previous one, but she knew she already slept too much and Marjolaine would not be pleased with her. An arm strained to her left confirmed her suspicion that her lover was out of bed, no doubt waiting for her. Which meant that she had no time to linger around, and she should get ready to answer to her lover’s every whim.

Even though she proved her worth the previous day while playing the game, now it was a new day and she had to work hard if she wanted any kind of reward. Oh, how her heart – and something slightly down south – fluttered when she thought at the events that transpired the previous night – few hours before actually. She let her imagination take her back to the moment when she jumped through the window and was caught by surprise by Marjolaine and pinned to the wall; how her lover took control over her, took her to bed and ravished her… and then, after her muscles stopped clutching around Marjolaine’s hand, how the other bard allowed her to continue what she started at the soiree.

Leliana was surprised that Marjolaine allowed her that, giving the fact that every time she tried to turn the tables, Marjolaine refused her. There were times when she was the one making the other woman appear weak, plenty of times when she was the one pleasing her master, but every single time was different than the previous night. Before, Marjolaine was the one dictating the pace and she always seemed so calculated, even while in those fragile moments. But the previous night was… different somehow. Marjolaine gave away the control freely to Leliana and the bard took advantage of the situation and teased her master. She teased her up until the point Marjolaine had to ask for release, had to almost beg.

Leliana never saw the bard doing that or allowing another to take the control. Did she really succeed in proving her worth and that was her reward? Did she really become everything Marjolaine wanted her to become and now was allowed more rights in the bedroom? Did they stand on equal grounds now? Would she be allowed to repeat the previous night? Would Marjolaine ever allow her to be the one fully in control? Would she ever hear that desperation in her lover’s voice when calling out her name in the depths of the dark?

Only the thought of that made her shiver and then she realised that her hand was making its way down her body, under her silk robe, reaching for her slick core. Her eyes were closed, and in the moment she felt the wetness, she could not help a groan slip her lips.

A slight shift in the bed made Leliana froze in place, eyes still closed. Her breath caught in her throat as a set of hands she knew all too well found her naked thighs and started caressing them. Before the redhead could allow herself to give in to the sensation, a trace of breath tickled her ear and she could hear Marjolaine whispering sweet words in her ear.

“I see you are awake, my pretty thing. And you did not waste any precious time getting to the interesting part. Tell me, did your memory wander to what happened last night?”

All that Leliana managed was a breathy _yes_ to Marjolaine’s rhetorical question as she felt her master’s hands trail up to where hers was moments ago, but stopping in the vicinity.

“And what was it that stirred this feeling inside, my pretty thing? Was it having my fingers inside you?” she said as one lithe finger dipped between Leliana’s folds, causing the bard to stifle a moan that tried to escape her.

“Or was it the way my tongue explored every inch of you, settling against your entrance and tasting you?” Marjolaine emphasised her point by tracing the outer border of Leliana’s ear with her tongue, before delving in and causing a shiver to run through the bard’s spine.

“I felt your reaction…” Marjolaine said as her hand was met with a slight resistance from the muscles it was pressed against, in the moment Leliana shivered.

Out of breath and filled with desire, somehow – she did not know how – Leliana managed to open her mouth and form words that were registered by her lover. For a moment she thought that all that she could master were approval moans, but somehow she managed to actually speak.

“It- it was actually the way you… the way you…” Even in control of her emotions and speech ability, she thought that it would be better if she would not finish that sentence. No, making Marjolaine feel like she was not everything, was really the last thing she wanted to do. To her surprise, Marjolaine was the one who continued.

“The way I submitted to you, Leliana? The way _I_ allowed _you_ to take the control? Is that it? Is that what made you wet, what made _you_ desire _me_ all over again?”

“Yes…” it was all that the bard could say, and it was true. No way to deny that now. “Yes to everything.”

“And do you wish to do that again, Leliana?”

The redhead did not miss that her master called her twice in a row by her name, and did not imply that she was just a toy to be played with and then discarded until she would prove useful again. All that she could think about was how she wanted the other woman to allow her the control again. How she craved for the power she felt when making Marjolaine shout her name. But now the thought had left her lips dry and her lover was waiting for an answer. Leliana did the only thing she could and nodded in approval.

“Oh, Leliana, but how can you do that when my simple flick of fingers threatens to end you? How could you put to good use those lips of yours when they tremble like that under my breath and crave for contact?” A breath. “No, my dear, I think this time you wish to feel me inside you, you wish my lips to crash into yours, you wish my teeth to sink in your throat and find your pulse point… You wish me to take you right here, right now.” Marjolaine moved her fingers and found Leliana’s swollen bud, circled it a couple of times, causing the redhead’s back to arch and she caught Leliana’s moans with her mouth, her tongue delving past her lips.

After their heated kiss ended, Leliana found the will to open her eyes and she was greeted by the sight of her lover on top of her, covering the light of the day and a burning desire showing in her eyes.

“I-,” Leliana started before she swallowed her words. How should she continue? Should she try and search deep within herself for that power she exerted the previous night and use it against her lover? Looking into Marjolaine’s eyes she saw the silent challenge she forwarded to prove her words wrong and turn the tables. But how could she deny that she did not want Marjolaine to take her, when her body was betraying every thought she had against it? How could she not give in to what Marjolaine was proposing when it was everything she craved for? Maker, why was she so insatiable when they spent half of the night and the majority of the morning pleasuring each other, until their bodies were sore and devoid of all energy? And how come all the power she had the night before now became her weakness? Could she be able to resist her desire and not play into her lover’s hands – literally?

It did not matter what she could or could not do. The memory of the previous night demanded her to try. Once you go black you cannot go back, right? So, she had to… She had to at least try and see if she had the power it took.

Leliana took in a breath and steeled herself. “I… think that was enough talk, Marjolaine.” Her arms went on Marjolaine’s hips and her combat training allowed her to be the one on top, pinning her lover. A brief feeling of might and a decent quantity of smugness filled the bard. But it all diminished when she saw the smirk on Marjolaine’s face and the mischief in her eyes. When the older woman spoke, her thick Orlesian accent showed in her voice.

“Forgive me, Leliana. It was not my intention to tease you, my dear. But if my inaction has these results, then perhaps I am to stay idle some more.”

“That is _not true!_ ” Leliana’s voice was high-pitched showing… showing what exactly? Hurt? For what? And why? Even if she wanted to change the way she appeared before, she could not turn back the time. She started talking, so she had to finish. “ _You_ do not _apologise._ And you _do_ like to tease me! It is your favourite sport after the game…” She should not have said that. Oh, how she resented herself for saying that…

“Oh, my poor Leliana’s feelings are hurt? Do you _resent_ me? Do you _hate_ me? Do you want to _punish_ me, Leliana? Do you want to teach _me_ a lesson this time? Do you want to be the master, the one in control? Do you want me to do as you say, cling to your every word, follow your every whim, and surrender myself to your touch? Exactly as you do now, even if you are the one on top, my pretty thing?”

And there it was. Marjolaine played her once again. Without even realising, with every emphasised word, with every question, the older woman made her cling to every word. And she was so lost in everything that she did not feel her stomach flutter and her core twitch under Marjolaine’s touches. She did not even realise that one of Marjolaine’s hands was holding her waist, while the other one was once again in between her legs, drawing wetness out of her and onto the bed sheets. She also did not realise that her heart threatened to leave her chest and the way its pounds resonated through her body, making everything harder to hear, the sounds harder to discern.

It was not until a moan vibrated in her throat that she realised what was happening. By that time, it was all too late, Marjolaine had her where she wanted. Seeing that she lost the first battle, Leliana loosened the grip on her lover’s hips and the other bard flipped them back to the position they started, a finger dipping slightly into Leliana and causing her to moan out loud.

Seeing the younger woman offering the control and herself so easily, seeing the desire in her eyes, hearing the hitch of her breath and the moan that followed, filled Marjolaine with the same sense of power Leliana held before. Unlike the redhead, Marjolaine knew how to wield the power. She brought her lips over the redhead’s, but not as long as the bard wanted, before moving to her neck, kissing, nibbling and marking the bard as hers.

The rough treatment did not only increase her desire, but made Leliana express it out loud, thing that fuelled Marjolaine even more. The older bard moved her attention towards Leliana’s breasts, massaging one with her left hand, taking the other one in her mouth, while her right hand was following the same patterns and rhythm up and down Leliana’s folds. She knew exactly what she was doing and the full effect it had on the redhead.

Leliana found herself at a loss for thoughts. It all happened way too fast and she did not realise how she got in that state. Marjolaine was teasing her, while at the same time offering her enough pleasure, leaving her wanting more. In the moment Marjolaine’s right hand synchronised with the actions done on her breasts, Leliana’s heels felt like they caught on fire. She felt as she was walking on burning coals, save for the pain. Her body heated up, beads of sweat coating her body, and she knew that soon enough, Marjolaine would reach the spot she wanted. The only question was how long it would take her to get there. Would she deem that Leliana deserved it? When would she be satisfied with the responses she was receiving?

Maybe that was what she was waiting for. She wanted Leliana to ask for more, to beg like she begged last time, to make Leliana feel dominated, to make her submit. Leliana would willingly give Marjolaine all that she wanted if the woman would stop and ask. But that could not happen, not without stepping on her pride and her role. It was a game of wills and Leliana was already tricked into giving up her advantage.

She could give in and do what Marjolaine expected of her, but what good would that do to her in the future? Marjolaine would think her weak and she would blew all her chances of being in control again. Her body was burning, driving her mad with desire and asking for release. She considered it for a moment, before coming to a decision. She would hold on for now, give Marjolaine slowly what she wanted, but not quite everything the woman needed to be satisfied. She would leave breadcrumbs and draw her in until she would capture her. Only after she would secure that she could give in. It was risky, a dangerous game to play, but if she wanted another chance, she had to show that she could do it.

Leliana started slowly, with gestures, bringing her hands to Marjolaine’s hair, tangling them. She would pull slightly when the other woman would apply pressure to her nipples or to her clit. It was a good start, and as Leliana allowed herself to be a little rougher in her pulls, Marjolaine pushed some more, thinking that the redhead was on the way of losing her self-control. And she was not far from the truth. It took an immense amount of will from Leliana not to give in to her desire. She was just beginning and she had to know how much to give before it would be too much and lose control. She could not fake it, not while it was all real, so she just had to measure the dosage.

The next thing she allowed herself were louder moans and she slowly pushed Marjolaine, guiding her lower on her body. The woman started kissing her abdomen, making her taut muscles contract, before kissing her hipbones and go even lower, kissing the sensitive area of her inner thighs. I became harder, her own body failing her and moving on its own accord. Going like that, she knew that she was going to lose, so she had to do the only thing that would make her lover go mad. She had to ask for more, but be careful how much to push.

Leliana made her enjoyment known through her growls and moans, and in an instant she had Marjolaine’s attention, that set of eyes fixed on her face. It was exactly what she wanted, so now for the hard part. Leliana threw her head on the back as Marjolaine’s teeth sunk into the sensitive muscles of her thighs and she held back a scream on purpose, denying her lover the pleasure to hear it. Even with her eyes closed she knew that Marjolaine was frustrated as she felt one finger tease her entrance. But the young bard knew that was going to happen so she was able to control the pleasure and stop it from overwhelming her. She was on the right track and it was time to push some more.

Seeing that her move did not undo Leliana, Marjolaine clenched her teeth and tried again, this time feeling Leliana’s body thrusting forward in search for more.  But it was her time to not allow Leliana what she desired without the redhead working for it.

It was a risky thing the young bard did. If Marjolaine would have allowed the thrust, it would have been the end of the game. But now she was sure of her lover’s intentions and she intended to push her luck.

“Not so fast, sweet thing. You know how this works. You have to convince me that you deserve it first.” Marjolaine smirked, confident on her game.

“Plea-… Marjolaine plea…se,” Leliana silenced her voice before pronouncing the entire word, making her lover think that she was unable to speak.

“What was that, pretty thing?”

“Marjo-laine… more. I want mo-ore.” The young woman was becoming desperate, and she could not keep her act going. She felt pressure building up and knew that she did not have enough time or strength left for long.

“Then you will have to ask nicely, Leliana. I cannot give you what you want otherwise.”

“But, Ma- Marjolaine. I want mooore… Ple-“ Leliana stopped breathing when Marjolaine brought her tongue to her core. Things were not looking well for the bard’s game, but they were feeling so good.

“Speak your mind, Leliana!” the older woman demanded. “Tell me what you want.”

“I-I want pl-pleasure.” She swallowed a scream, much to her lover’s displeasure.

“Ask _nicely_ , Leliana, otherwise you will get nothing.”

“No!” the bard protested, all acting lost. It was genuine, she did not want Marjolaine to stop. But she was wondering if the older woman would stop if she would not give her what she was expecting. Would Marjolaine’s lust be too much to rip herself away? Was it wise to risk everything for a stupid game? But the game was not stupid, not when she had so much to gain. And it was not like she had to resist for too long, only long enough for Marjolaine to see her character.

“Then give me what I ask for, Leliana, and I will give you what you want, my pretty thing. We both know how much you want it. I can feel your muscles clenching in want for me, needing me. Give in to me, Leliana. Tell me what you want.”

“I want… I-I need more. I need you… inside.”

“Leliana! Do not play these games with me. You know you cannot win. I will make you beg for release, my sweet thing. You know I will. I can wait, you… you will give in.”

It was a threat, and one that Marjolaine honoured. Her tongue started moving around, her hands reached Leliana’s breasts, massaging them, while her tongue found the bud of the redhead’s clit and gave it its full attention.

The feeling was unbearable. Too good, and not enough to push her over the edge at the same time. Leliana could not hold back her screams of Marjolaine’s name or about _craving_ for more. Anything, but not what her lover wanted to hear.

And that was enough. Frustrated, Marjolaine stopped what she was doing, backed away from Leliana’s core, leaving the young woman mourn the loss. The bard then lifted her hands in the air and shouted.

“Merde, Leliana! Why do you do this to me, pretty thing? Just say what I need you to say!”

A smirk pulled at Leliana’s lips because, even though Marjolaine stopped her attention, she knew what she had to do to mend things. And… she won the silent game of wills that both of them were aware they were playing.

Leliana grabbed her lover and pulled her back on top, the smirk never leaving her face, and kissed her. The passionate kiss ended the tension and brought back the desires. Soon, Leliana broke the kiss and stared into Marjolaine’s eyes, assuring her that it was all a game and that whatever happened, she would always have her.

But the woman still needed to hear the words, and Leliana was aware of it. So she leaned in and whispered in her ear as one of her hands took hold of Marjolaine’s own and guided it down her body.

“You already know what I need… I need you to take me, Marjolaine. I am _yours. Please?”_

It was the incentive Marjolaine needed to give in to her own desires again. She found the spot she marked before on Leliana’s neck and dug her teeth harder into it, sucking and definitely leaving a bruise. At the same time two of her fingers slid easily into Leliana, causing the girl to scream her name. She started thrusting in and out, bringing the younger woman over the edge and continued to maintain the orgasm. If Leliana thought that the game before was torture, it did not even come close to what she was feeling. She needed more and she did not hesitate to ask nicely for it.

The whole room was filled by her pleas to her lover, followed closely by the chant of her name. She was more devoted to Marjolaine than a Chantry sister is devoted to the Maker when singing the Chant of Light.

It all filled Marjolaine with a sense of power that often the game failed to come close to. She was Leliana’s patron, the younger woman was hers and only she was able to make her come undone like that. Yes, the young woman held her ground and proved to have a strong will, but in the end she always did everything to please Marjolaine. That is why Leliana was her most precious toy, her finest example. That is why Leliana’s devotion was exactly what she wanted. It was also the reason why Leliana received what she craved for, the pleasure only Marjolaine knew how to offer her.

The older bard left Leliana’s neck and took hold of her lips instead, their tongues brushing. She thrust her fingers as deep as could, curling them and finding the point that undid the younger woman.

The young bard came undone for her master, her moans and screams lost in their kiss. When they were done, both women were left breathless, laying in bed, but both of them pleased with the outcome.

Marjolaine acknowledged Leliana’s strong will, determination and loyalty, and made her promises to allow her more rights in bed if she would prove worthy. And Leliana? Leliana was ready for everything her master asked of her.

That is how the redhead found herself at the University, tailing a certain person.

 

 

***

 

“Love is nothing more than the legal co-ownership of physical parts…”

Josephine could not believe what she was hearing. It was the middle of the hottest day of the season, and the last one before she could leave for the summer holiday. But no, before she could do that she was stuck in class, listening to her philosophy professor dismiss all thoughts about love. Why did she had to attend today’s lectures when they were not  _mandatory?_ It did not make sense… _I could have been on a ship, halfway to Rialto Bay by now._ Oh, how she missed the sea caressing her face while lying in a hammock in the gardens back home. Home… she supposed she missed it, but she got quite cosy in Val Royeaux and even made some really good friends. Josephine felt that being away from Leliana – even for just a month – would break her heart.

“Hm-hmm,” Josephine was pulled out of her thoughts by a loud clearing of throat coming from no one other than her professor. “Miss Montilyet, I do hope that you were contemplating on the subject we are currently discussing, and not at anything unrelated to this class…”

Josephine looked around her in the class only to see that she was not the only one not paying attention. _From all the people in the class, he had to pick me. That…_ “No, of course not, professor.” Josephine responded calmer than she felt.

“Then maybe you can enlighten us with your thoughts, Lady Montilyet.”

“Of course, professor. Could you just… refresh my memory on the last thing you mentioned. I believe your opinion needs to be given a second thought.”

The professor rolled his eyes at the thought. “If I _must_ repeat myself… Even though I do not like redundancy in the slightest. As I said before, class, love is used for nothing more than acquiring goods in return for services. A form of capitalism, if you must. The Tevinter’s noble families marry their children to secure strong magical bloodlines and ultimately power over Orlais, the Qunari use “love” for the purpose of exploring sexual taboos, and so on. Throughout history, love has been nothing more than utilitarian, except in the prose of the poets. Now what do you have to say about this, lady Montilyet?”

Josephine took a moment to consider the professor before gathering her thoughts.

“Could you answer me a question, professor?”

“I will do my best.”

“Are you Andrastian?”

“I-I do not see how that is relevant, Lady Montilyet,” the professor stammered.

“Just answer the question, professor. You can deem after if it was relevant or not.” Josephine started to gain control of the conversation.

“Yes, yes, I do consider myself Andrastian, but I still fail to see why that is important.”

“How come, professor? Did the Maker not love His children? Is He not spreading love? Is He not willing to offer His children a place by His side even after they showed Him three times that they are not worthy?”

“That is correct.”

Josephine saw the slightly annoyed expression that he had to agree with her, and she could bet that despite his comments, he did saw where the conversation was heading and did not like it at all.

“You also agree that the Maker is eternal, therefore by extension, His love is eternal, no? Any other love withers in comparison to His love. Two mortals may find love and let it blossom for an hour or for tens of years, but it is still transient, giving the fact that a human life does falter and only the Maker is eternal, no?” Josephine was about to continue when the professor interrupted her.

“Alright, Lady Montilyet, I stated that love does not exist, but is simply a method to achieve power, fortune, social standing, sexual fulfilment and I could go on. Perhaps I should have better defined _love.”_ he spat the word like it was bringing him a sour taste. “Love, in the romantic sense is best defined as a chemical response the body has to a stimuli, one that can be mimicked by other things like chocolate, if chocolate creates a pleasant feeling for the subject. Therefore, the experience of love is fuelled by pretence and fantasy for a short period of time. It is merely an illusion, after which it changes into hate, disgust or despair, depending of the circumstances.”

“So you do not think that the Maker encourages us through His Bride to love? You do not think that He makes a duty out of love and the only way to gain eternal life? And like that the Maker eternally secures love against every change, against even despair? But however happy or joyous love can be in itself, it still feels the need to establish itself in order not to falter. Therefore the two people who share that love pledge themselves. They pledge fidelity or friendship to one another. By what, then, do they swear this love? Does this love swear by something which is higher than itself? And what is the highest entity both of us acknowledge, if not the Maker, professor? If two swear their love to the Maker or His Bride, and either one of them acknowledge it, then such a love stands and does not fall within variations in the object of love. It stands and falls with eternity’s law, therefore it never falls. And that is love, professor, not what you described. You described a selfish act that is used to gain something. “Loving” only for the gain of power is not love, is manipulation.”

Josephine could see that the professor did not have any valid argument to contradict what she said. Not willing to be even more embarrassed, the professor rang the bell that marked the end of the class earlier. By that, both the day and the semester came to a finish.

The other students hurried out of the door, but not before offering their goodbyes and congratulations to Josephine. Some of her Antivan friends made her promise to meet with them back home. All the time, the professor was shooting her daggers with his look. Before she could leave the amphitheater he asked for a private word.

“Lady Montilyet, I must say that doing such things and putting out a show in front of the whole class is outrageous. I am afraid that my duty asks of me to invoke the University’s Council and present them the situation. They will have to decide what course of action is appropriate in this type of situations. I am afraid that the consequences of your _outburst_ might have had a terrible impact on your academic life and possible career you might once want to have. Now, please go home and enjoy your holiday until you will be summoned to come in front of the Council for the investigation.”

“But,” Josephine started saying, frustration written on her face. Somehow she managed to keep it from her voice.

“That would be all, Lady Montilyet. You may take your leave.” He said pointing at the door.

This time, Josephine strode out and she did not care if she offered him the satisfaction he was looking for or not. Nothing mattered anymore. It all felt pointless and stupid, and she was ready to go back home and tell her mother that the University in Orlais was a big mistake, when she saw a familiar face making her way towards her. Leliana…

 

***

 

Leliana was waiting in the University’s gardens for Baron Severin to finish his classes before she could try and extract from him the information Marjolaine needed. She knew that it would not be long until the philosophy professor would make an appearance, as students were already leaving the amphitheatre.

Getting inside the University was not hard at all. Nothing her charisma and seduction skills could not handle. _They really need to increase the security, or at least hire better guards, otherwise any decent bard could make its playground out of this place. Luckily for them, I am interested in only one person._

By the time Leliana ended her line of thoughts, Josephine stormed out of the door, anger painting her beautiful facial features. Leliana saw her friend in distress, murmuring angrily in Antivan. She did not know too much of Josephine’s native tongue, but she could pick a few words like bastard, ignorant, arrogant and another one that she once heard an Antivan noble woman call a drunk Orlesian whose hands drifted to inappropriate places.

In that instant she decided that she could put her mission on hold for a while and see to her friend. She approached Josephine, whose attention was attracted by the redhead, and from what Leliana could see, the Antivan was _really_ glad for the accidental meeting.

“I thought you were supposed to be on a ship heading home by now. What happened, Josie, are you alright?” Leliana asked her friend as she came closer and touched Josephine’s arm.

“Oh, hello Leliana. Well, I thought it would be a good idea to attend the last lectures,” Josephine sighed, “but, alas, I should have just skipped them. I would not be in this situation I am now if I could have stop trying to be ‘responsible’.”

“Tell me what happened, Josie,” Leliana said as she walked the Antivan to the closest bench.

They were in a secluded area and being the final day of university there were no people walking around to disturb them. Josephine told her friend everything that happened, and she could see on Leliana’s face that the more experienced bard was already thinking at a plan to strike back.

“Please, Leliana, let it be. It is not worth it.”

With the slightest of smirks Leliana took the Antivan by her hand and headed for the university’s main exit. “I do not know what you are referring to, Josie. I am simply taking you on a trip with me, nothing more. If you missed your ship, I think a _small_ détour cannot hurt.”

 

***

 

Josephine was surprised when Leliana took her to a tavern. She never imagined that the charming bard who socialises with the Orlesian nobility would come to a place like this one on her own volition. It was nothing like the restaurants or cafes she was used to visiting, but that did not mean that it did not seem like a place with taste. The décor was fancy for a tavern and the staff was not drunk. Being the middle of the day, there were very few people, and not one of them was inebriated, which said a lot. It seemed to her that there were just middle-class people finding refuge from the scorching heat of the Orlesian summer.

The Antivan, encouraged by the redhead, took a seat at one of the tables and watched her friend have a chat with the tavern staff. It was clear to Josephine the game that Leliana played was working. The redhead was smiling, touching here and there and the staff did not even know what was happening. It was easy to get lost in watching Leliana entertain people in various ways and Josephine could not help smile seeing her friend so outgoing. When the Orlesian returned with two drinks in hand, Josephine could not help but offer her a smile.

Leliana narrowed her eyes at Josephine, a small smile lifting the corner of her lips. “What is wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, Leliana,” Josephine’s smile turned into a grin as she pointed to the people behind the counter. “I just think that you left that poor young man,” she cocked her head to the side, “who is quite handsome, I have to say, and the young elf helplessly smitten by you.”

“You have to be mistaken, Josie. It was just a brief interaction…”

“Look at them, Leliana. They are daydreaming of you even now. You have to be careful, otherwise you will end up breaking some hearts.” Somehow, it felt that she was referring more to herself than the two strangers.

“Well, I will have to turn them down, as I already have my eyes on someone,” Leliana punctuated with a wink and offered her friend a drink.

Josephine felt herself starting to blush and at the same time she was amazed once again to be under the effect of the redhead’s charms. She could not believe how easily it was for Leliana to put an end to a discussion, all the while leaving her contemplating if what was said was an intentional double-entendre or not.

Taking a sip from the glass provided by her friend, the younger woman was left speechless once more. She could not believe the familiar rich and fruity taste the wine had, nor that she was drinking it in an Orlesian tavern. She placed the glass down, a contented feeling taking over her.

Leliana did not miss the change in Josephine’s demeanour and it was all that she hoped for. “I am glad that you approve,” she said taking a sip from her mead and leaning back on the settee.

“How? I mean why? How come you remembered, Leliana?”

“Why? Because I thought that it will cheer you up, and apparently I was not wrong. And how did I remember? Well, unlike what you might think, I pay close attention to everything you say, Josie.”

“Then I must be careful what I say next,” Josephine fought hard against the impulse of biting her lower lip and embarrass herself. She knew she needed to redirect the conversation somewhere else, most probably to what was going to happen. “Speaking of which, you never told me what we are doing here.”

Leliana’s smile brightened before answering her friend. “We are going to have some fun, Josie. Tell me, how good is your nobility knowledge?”

“Good, I guess. We did have a few lectures on the political classes and Orlesian royalty and nobility.”

“That is good, it will make this easier. What do you know about Comte Gerard of Jader?”

Josephine took a moment to remember what she was taught. “I know he is the current ruler of Jader, but he is becoming of old age and he would like to pass the responsibility to someone else. Unfortunately for him, he has no children.”

“That is correct, yes,” Leliana said with a small nod. “Does he have any heirs at all?”

“He had a sister, Yvette, deceased now, but she married Comte Laurent Valleau and had a daughter, Lady Seryl of Jader.”

“Very well, Josie. You did your research. But there is more to the intricate Orlesian nobility. You see, Comtesse Yvette had a second marriage with a Pascal Doucy, a minor noble from the Doucy line. From that second marriage she had a child, Baron Severin Doucy of Jader, your professor. Because he is the second born, and because in his youth he alienated himself from him mother's bloodline and claimed to be a Doucy, the person with the highest chances of being declared the heir of Comte Gerard is Lady Seryl. Now, your _noble_ professor is falsely trying to denigrate his half-sister, while in fact he is the one who has some secrets to hide.”

Josephine contemplated the new information before speaking. “And what is that you are trying to achieve here, Leliana? Have a say in who will rule Jader? Is that Marjolaine’s game, to have Lady Seryl in her pocket?”

“No, Josie. Lady Seryl is an old friend of Marjolaine’s and the rightful ruler. She was trained in politics, holds a great deal of influence, she is a good player of the game with noble intentions and a patron of the arts. Now, how does that compare to your professor here?”

“I did not mean to insinuate anything, Leliana. I am sorry if it came out like that. So, what _is_ your plan?”

“Offer Comte Gerard the incentive he needs to see the true colours of his niblings. Speaking of which…”

Josephine followed Leliana’s eyesight which landed on the entrance, only to see an elder man garbed in chevalier clothes with small adjustments to them. His normal outfit was made of royal silk and adorned with a shoulder pad that was connecting with the waist, golden lion ornaments embroidered on the gauntlets and pauldrons.

Josephine leaned in and whispered to her friend. “Is that…?”

“Comte Gerard of Jader, and he is far away from home.” Leliana finished for her.

“What did you plan, Leliana?” Josephine asked while keeping a close eye on the Comte who was now approaching the counter.

“I had nothing to do with the Comte’s presence here,” the redhead smirked as a second person walked in.

As Baron Severin walked into the tavern, his eyes fell on the table the two women were situated at. He could not help make a grimace when his eyes met his student’s, and he rushed towards the counter to meet his uncle.

“Irking your professor on the other hand, I think you can blame that on me.”

“ _Dio caro_ , Leliana! What am I supposed to do now?” Josephine panicked.

Leliana turned her attention towards her friend and gave her the warmest of smiles. “You are a bard, and this is another role. Pretend like nothing happened, follow my lead, and let your professor dig his own grave.”

Josephine realised that Leliana’s plan might work as her attention was pulled towards her professor, who was starting to have a meltdown.

“What do you mean all the tables are reserved? There is no one here!”

“I apologise for the inconvenience, but we do have one available table.” The young man over the counter tried to calm the atmosphere.

“This is outrageous…”

“Is there any problem, Severin?”

Realising that he is causing a scene and not wanting to explain his real reasons for the outburst he abandoned any idea of relocating. “No, there is nothing wrong, uncle. Please, after you.”

Both men took a seat at the table adjacent to the one occupied by the girls. Baron Severin took the far end so that he could keep an eye on the two women, while Comte Gerard was half-turned from them. They started talking about how things were at the university, what was new back in Jader, all the time Severin was distracted by the two women. It was all thanks to Leliana, who was being subtly coy.

“Did you even hear what I asked, Severin?”

“Oh? I apologise, uncle, I am just tired. What were you saying?”

“No, it is not that. You are distracted and you keep looking behind me towards…” realisation downed on the Comte. “Ah, I see now, did one of the ladies pique your interest?” he said while looking closely at the two women. “Hmm, I know that redhead from somewhere…”.

As Comte Gerard turned towards the two women, his nephew jumped to interrupt him. “Uncle, do not do this.”

“Ah, so she is the one?”. With a smile, the comte ignored his nephew and approached the girls. “Excuse me, ladies…”

“Uncle, please…”

“Relax, Severin, you will be fine.”

“Yes, your Lordship?” Leliana answered with a smile, her plan obviously working.

Gerard furrowed his brow in contemplation after hearing Leliana speak. “I know you from somewhere… Were you by any chance the minstrel that ended Duke Bastien’s soiree the other night?”

“Oh, I am flattered, your Lordship. I never expected someone of your status to remember me.”

“How could I forget someone as entrancing as you? And apparently my young nephew here feels the same. He cannot keep his eyes or attention off of you, ladies. What do you say to join us? Maybe like this he would be able to actually hear me.” The comte made a small pause, assessing the situation and what reactions the girls might have. “If it is not too much to ask…”

“It would be our pleasure, your Lordship,” Leliana answered.

Both women switched tables, Josephine guided by the former chevalier, while the professor took Leliana’s hand. As they approached the gentlemen’s table, Severin did not miss an opportunity to try and find out if the meeting with the two women was just a coincidence or more.

“It is lovely to see you again, Lady Montilyet. Please, meet my uncle, Comte Gerard of Jader.”

“A pleasure to meet you, my Lord.” Josephine offered the elder a polite bow.

The comte asked for the Antivan’s hand and kissed it, taking a bow of his own. “The pleasure is all mine, Lady Montilyet. How do you know my nephew, if I might ask?”

“Lady Montilyet is one of my students at the University, uncle. One of the few that are able to provide opinions of her own, I might add. And who is your charming friend?” Severin interrupted.

The redhead bard realised what the professor was trying to do and responded in kind. “Leliana, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, your Lordship. I heard so many good things about your classes at the university. I must say, it is a noble thing to nurture the young generation into such studies. If more people would try to answer the questions that you provide answers to, this empire and even the whole Thedas would have a brighter future. I am grateful for what you are doing for Orlais.”

Leliana knew her way around people and it was not hard to tickle the professor’s ego. Despite his previous suspicious, Severin could not help feeling admiration coming from the bard.

“And we need more people with the same visions as yours, my Lady. I am, indeed, trying to offer the young generation a drop of wisdom and help them understand the world they live in better,” he stole a glance towards Josephine, “but sometimes it can be hard to nurture the desire for knowledge and enlightenment when I stumble upon young adults with no regard for such matters.”

“But that only emphasises my points and your contributions. Just earlier, Lady Montilyet was telling me how passionate you are in your work.”

“Oh, was she?” Severin turned towards the Antivan, confusion written on his face.

“I was just mentioning to Leliana how dedicated you are and how the class earlier today was really an eye-opening experience.”

“See, Severin, I told you that you should focus more on what you do at the University and put your other activities away. Now, shall we have a sit and order some drinks?” The chevalier said, pointing at the chairs.

After everyone settled in, the elder asked for the waiter. He ordered the usual, Severin followed his example and so did the two women, not knowing what they will have. After the drinks were served, the first to speak was Gerard.

“Tell me, ladies, to what reason do I owe this serendipitous meeting?”

“Oh, I was just saying goodbye to my friend here. She is going to Antiva for the holidays, and this is the closest place to the port.”

“I never visited Antiva. Lady Montilyet, is your land everything we hear in the high circles? Are your vineyards truly the most spectacular ones in all of Thedas?”

“It depends on what you heard, your Lordship. What I _can_ tell you is that the vineyards run as far as the eyes can see in some places. But I grew up in Antiva City, right up against Rialto Bay. Even though I did not have the chance to visit Jader yet, I can imagine that you are familiar with the sound of the sea crashing against the maze of the docks. It is a lovely sight to walk by the side of the docks, lanterns lit no matter what the weather.”

“It sounds romantic, and everything you would expect from your native land. I think my nephew should visit the place and go on a promenade…”

“It is, my Lord. You both should visit. It would be my pleasure to be your guide.” Josephine did not miss the uncomfortable look on her professor’s face and she did her best to hide her enjoyment.

“Hear that, Severin? You should take that invitation. It would do you much good to be in a company like the one offered to you.”

“I- ah… I do not think that it is such a good idea, uncle.” Severing said, jaw clenched tight.

“Why? I think it is time for you to find a proper lady and settle down.”

“Like you said, uncle. I- I should focus on my work at the university.” He tried a more subtle approach.

Seeing an opening, Leliana leaned in and whispered to the comte.

“Your Lordship, I could not miss before the glances your nephew threw towards the young Lady Montilyet, nor his distraction. I think that after a drink or two to loosen up he would have a different opinion about a vacation to Antiva City.”

Seeing what Leliana was hinting at, the chevalier smiled. “I like how you think.” With a wink that went unnoticed by the professor, he turned to the table and proposed a toast. “To meeting new people and visiting new places.”

Satisfied with herself and feeling joy playing the game, Leliana joined in on the toast. Realising what were her friend’s intention, Josephine played along as well.

Soon enough they finished the first round of drinks… and the second one… and the third, until everyone lost count of how much they drank.

 

***

 

Smelling the salty air, Leliana woke to the sound of waves crashing into the shore’s stones and the feeling of needles piercing through her skull. Opening her eyes, she realised that there were no actual needles around and that the feeling was only her headache.

Looking around her, she could not recognise the place. She was not back in her chambers, nor at Marjolaine’s estate, nor in any other place she visited before for that matter. On a closer inspection, after her vision cleared out, Leliana realised that she was on a massive bed, wearing a towel around her body and, surprisingly, her shoes. What was even more unexpected was the fact that Josephine was next to her, wearing a bathrobe. Having a better look at the bathrobe, the redhead realised that they were in a manor providing accommodation in Jader.

The last thing she remembered was being back in Val Royeaux with Josephine, her professor and the Comte of Jader, having drinks in a tavern and getting the professor to spill his dark secrets to his uncle.  She did not have any recollection of what might have happened after, how she ended up in Jader or how it went with the gentlemen. Nor could she think of such matters, not when she had no idea how she ended up sleeping almost naked in a bed, next to Josephine. Josephine… her friend. Josephine… the person who had a unique quality of making her heart flutter. Despite her headache and her cloudy thoughts, Leliana was certain that she was starting to have a crush on the Antivan, and the situation did not look very well from where she was standing.

Josephine, on the other hand, looked very well from where Leliana was standing. The bathrobe was covering the most important parts, but it left her legs uncovered and Leliana allowed herself to revel in the sight for just a moment, before doing the moral thing and shield her eyes away. Peering on Josephine like that was not the right thing to do, even though the young Antivan did steal a glance at Leliana’s naked body when they were getting ready for the soiree.

Deciding that it was best to dress before waking Josephine up, Leliana looked around the room and, to her relief, she found the clothes she wore the previous day. Was it the previous day? The redhead hoped that her friend could shine some light on the situation.

Fully dressed, she approached the bed and woke Josephine up, who let out a groan. Most definitely she was having the same headache as Leliana. Luckily for the Antivan, Leliana found a pitcher with water and offered her friend a drink.

“Do not try sudden movements, Josie. Here, drink this, it will help.”

After downing the glass of water and feeling herself drifting back to consciousness, Josephine took in the new surroundings, along with her level of clothing. Shocked by the whole situation, she asked for answers.

“What happened, Leliana?”

“I was hoping that you could tell me more about that, Josie. How are you feeling?”

“I…uhm, I am alright. A minor headache. And you?”

“Do not worry about me, I have been worse. Even though waking up in a completely strange place, in the same bed as my friend, both of us out of our clothes is a first.” Leliana said with sigh, shielding her eyes away from the Antivan.

Sensing the unease in the redhead, Josephine tried to comfort Leliana and took a hold of her hands. She did not know if it was the best idea, but it was what she felt like doing. “Leli, please, look at me,” she asked her friend in a warm tone.

Reluctant, Leliana did as she was told and turned towards her friend, her eyes falling on their shared hands at first, then on Josephine’s face. Seeing the smile the other woman was offering her put her mind at ease a little, even though the big question was still on her lips. “How much do you remember, Josie?”

“I… remember enough. Plus, I think more is coming back to me.”

“I… I have to ask. D-Did we…?”

“No.” came the calm and confident answer from Josephine.

Leliana could not read more into it or if her friend was relieved or disappointed by it. Thinking about herself, she felt both. She was relieved that she did not do something that she could not remember, but at the same time felt disappointed at the thought of a missed opportunity. She did not understand where it all came from, all that she knew was that her heart ached a little at the thought.

“I see. Then…?”

After taking a few moments to recollect her memories, Josephine let out a giggle that warmed Leliana’s heart. “I remember the two of us going for a swim in the Waking Sea sometime last night. We then checked in here and, I think we spent the night drinking some more.” She pointed at an empty bottle of wine on the table in the middle of the room.

“Ah, I swear that it the last time I will drink dwarven ale. But, what happened to our clothes?”

“What do you think that happens to clothes when you go swimming fully clothed? We obviously could not sleep with them like that.”

“I see, I could have at least removed my shoes…” Leliana said, smiling.

“You did not take off your shoes?” Josephine joined in, laughing from her heart.

“So it seems.” The redhead allowed herself to enjoy the moment before going back to getting answers. “But, how did we end up in _Jader_?”

“That I… I do not know, Leli. I know that the comte was trying to set me up with his nephew, and I have you to blame for that. That is why he mentioned coming here on a vacation, and also something else. Ah, I remember, you convinced him to hold a meeting with Lady Seryl and Baron Severin to decide who is better suited to rule Jader.”

“Yes, I think I remember something in those lines. And he sent word for his niece to join in today, at lunch time. That is in one hour Josie!”

“And? What were you planning, Leli?” Josephine asked confused.

“My whole idea was to get the baron to spill out his secrets, which could have gone better if we would not have been inebriated, and then embarrass him in front of his uncle. It will take only a small drop in the light of his already capricious lifestyle for him to lose his chance.”

“And how do you propose to achieve that now?”  

“I do not know. We will have to improvise. Come on, hurry up, we need to sneak into the comte’s estate before the meeting will take place.”

 

***

 

“Why did I let you convince me that sneaking in would be a good idea?” Josephine asked, slightly annoyed.

“Shhh, keep your voice down, Josie, you will blow our cover.”

“We are in a storage room, Leliana. A servant’s storage room in which we can barely fit the two of us.” The Antivan said, her breath brushing Leliana’s ear as to emphases the small space they were in.

“But at least we got here before the baron did. I guess drinking that much did not help.”

“And what do you plan to do when he gets here, Leli? Beat him up with a broom?” Josephine said while playing with a broom she previously moved out of the way.

“Hmmm, not really. What else do we have in here?”

“ _Dio caro_ , Leliana! You cannot be serious.” Josephine shouted, thing that resulted in her mouth getting covered by the redhead’s hand.

“Josie! I told you to be quiet.” With an almost silent giggle, the bard let go of her friend. “I apologise, but it was the only comme-il-faut way of making sure you do not give away our position. Now, what else do we have here?”

“Let me see. Besides the broom we have a dust remover, a twine ball, a measuring stick and… a handkerchief?”

After a moment of contemplation, Leliana’s eyes widened in surprise, a big grin plastered on her face.

“Oh, no. I recognise that look, what are you thinking, Leli?”

In that moment both women heard movement coming from the other room, signalling that Baron Severin finally made it to the meeting. Careful not to give their position away, Leliana leaned in and whispered her plan to Josephine.

 

***

 

Three days later, both women were in Val Royeaux, having lunch at a restaurant, recounting the adventures they shared in Jader.

“You could hear the baron’s shouts even in the gardens while we were sneaking out, Leli! I guess I do not have to worry for my future at the University now that he is no longer teaching. Thank you for that…”

“There is nothing to thank me for, Josie. I got the information I needed, Lady Seryl will inherit the rule of Jader in a few months, and I got to enjoy spending time with you, walking on the waterfronts of Jader. Ah, how I wish more days would be like that one.” Leliana let out a sigh, missing the time she spent away from Val Royeaux with her friend.

After a few moments of gathering the courage she needed, Josephine spoke. “Then come with me to Antiva City. I meant what I said about the view and the romantic atmosphere… It will only be for a few days, maybe a week?”

In the moment Leliana offered Josephine a sad smile, the Antivan knew what the answer was going to be. “I am afraid that I cannot do that, Josie. As much as I would love to board that ship with you today, I am to leave for Denerim with Marjolaine tomorrow on business.”

Josephine knew that it was a long shot, but could not help feel disappointment at the thought. To her surprise, it was short lived, because when Leliana spoke again, it was all that she could hope for.

“But, if you will still have me, I can join you after my assignment is done. We will not spend more than two days in Denerim, and from there I can take a ship straight to Antiva City. How does that sound?” Leliana tried to suppress a smile, but it was impossible seeing her friend in such a happy mood.

“It sounds lovely Leliana. Oh, I must plan our days right away. And we have to go to a winery for a tasting. Ah, I am sorry, I am getting ahead of myself already.” The young woman felt a blush taking over her.

“There is nothing to worry about, Josie. I love your excitement, and I cannot wait to spend more time together, just the two of us. These few days will pass really fast and after we will be able to… make more memories together.” Leliana said with a mischievous smirk as she raised her wine glass, looked into Josephine’s eyes and toasted for good times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not think that trying to balance writing with everything else happening in my life could be so hard, but somehow I managed to get this out! Please note the fact that there might be a high number of mistakes in the chapter, as I did not get the chance to proof read it while not being literally exhausted. Please leave any feedback or comments bellow because it does help a lot to get input from the readers.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Annien.


	4. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two friends meet again after six years and try to take the things from where they left off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear reader,
> 
> I know this is a big jump in the timeline and that I am leaving out a major part of Leliana's life, but I just want you to trust me. It is all accounted for. You will get the first hand experience from the bard herself, but only when she is "ready". I hope this is not disrupting the normal flow of the story and that it is still enjoyable.
> 
> Any feedback or ideas are still welcome, and I _am_ taking them into consideration. Thank you all for reading.

Chapter IV - The reunion

 

 

It was three years after the Blight when Leliana returned back to Val Rolyeaux. She could come back without anything holding her, now that Marjolaine was dead. That did not mean that she was not feeling any kind of remorse though. She agreed with Lyna Mahariel’s decision to kill Marjolaine and was aware that the woman was completely insane and paranoid. She ignored everything happening in the world, blinded by her paranoia about Leliana’s reasons for fighting the Blight. She was aware that the redhead was traveling with the Grey Wardens, she was aware that they _did_ encounter darkspawn attacks, and if that was not proof enough that there was indeed a Blight, Marjolaine saw with her own eyes the destruction brought on Lothering by the darkspawn hordes. There was no denying that it was not just a random surface attack, but a coordinated one, led by an Archdemon.

But that did not matter, in the end it was all about her. Leliana tried to reason with her former lover, but how can one reason with a psychopath that sees only betrayal? And the funny thing was that the only person capable of betraying the other’s trust and love was the bard master. She was the one who stabbed Leliana and threw her to the wolves. She was fully aware that Raleigh was the cruellest man she ever met and what would be his way of dealing with a traitor. The more painful thing was that everything was carefully planned _before_ Leliana even knew about the job. Marjolaine planned for days and found the perfect way out of a partnership she though was becoming too dangerous for her. For her, the redhead overdid her usefulness and she was merely a tool becoming sharper. And we all know that you need to be careful how you play with sharp tools, otherwise you can cut yourself. Marjolaine saw how good Leliana was and it reminded her of another young bard who became too good, too soon – none other than herself. Because of that, the Orlesian thought that soon enough Leliana would not need a patron anymore, would not need her, therefore she had to strike first. That was the first lesson she taught the young bard on the hunting trip. But she was too blind to see that the younger woman truly loved her. She was doing everything her patron asked, even bedding all the people she was throwing at her in order not to displease Marjolaine. She could not deny that having Leliana as her pet was intriguing – and sometimes exciting even – but she could live without it.

Marjolaine failed to see that Leliana was a one woman kind of girl, if that one was her patron. Which for Marjolaine was not true, not anymore or maybe not ever. But even if the feeling was mutual at the beginnings of their relationship, it was replaced by paranoia in the end. That obviously drove her to do what she did. As soon as she made up her mind, there was nothing Leliana could do to help herself. Any decision she would have taken was going to be the wrong one. Marjolaine knew that Leliana would find the papers strange enough to look over them because she _fabricated_ them to be like that. It was obvious that after reading them the younger bard would want to replace them, and that was the easy way out for Marjolaine. In the end, she stayed true to her philosophy of never delaying the inevitable and she struck, betraying Leliana. She felt no remorse for betraying her lover – not that she had any moral compass anyway. She found the perfect person to take care of that, a once noble Ferelden man who lost his land to the Orlesian invasion, Harwen Raleigh. After the war ended, King Maric left him without his land because of his penchant for rape, torture and other war crimes. So, the perfect man to throw an Orlesian bard to. 

But even so, Leliana still did not want to kill her. Yes, Marjolaine betrayed her in the past and made her go through the worst time of her life, but Leliana did not want revenge. And in a way she could understand why Marjolaine wanted to eliminate her – because she became better than her master. In those kind of situations the bard-master would seek to eliminate the apprentice if it would best the teacher. But their situation was not the usual relation between a bard and its master, no. The two women were in love, or maybe that was what Leliana thought to be true. As soon as she saw what Marjolaine was capable of, Leliana was prepared for everything her former master could throw at her. She knew every rule in Marjolaine’s book so she was no threat to the redhead. However, that did not mean that she did not pose a threat to her companions. Sooner or later someone she cared about would have been caught in the middle and would have got hurt, because nothing would have stopped the Orlesian bard. Well, nothing except death, and Leliana realised that the only way to protect the ones she loved was by indeed taking her former master’s life.

Mahariel, Alistair, Wynne and of course Zevran and Morrigan were all convinced that Marjolaine should pay the ultimate price for her deeds. Obviously they all knew what the woman did to their companion. And more than that, they were also convinced that Leliana was nothing like her former master, especially Lyna who was growing closer to the bard. But the redhead was not so sure. Even now she could not shake away those thoughts.

 

***

 

_What if Marjolaine was right? What if we are the same? I distanced myself from that life and now I walk in the Light of the Maker. So, should not have I spared her life, instead of seeking revenge? Did killing her not prove her words that we are the same manipulating, dark, twisted people who revel in the game? No, Lyna was right, just stopping to ask myself this makes it different. Plus, I did not end her life for revenge, I ended her life to protect the people I love, especially her! But in the end it was all for naught and the Maker took her away from me…_

A bump in the road made the carriage jump and brought Leliana back to the present time. She found her hands shaking and had to steady herself. It was all over, the betrayal, the torture… She had come to peace with what happened, all thanks to Lyna who now...

 _Oh, Lyna_ … Leliana’s eyes filled with tears which, after a while, she started brushing away from her face. She closed her eyes, forced herself to steady her breaths and think of more pleasant thoughts. Revisiting the memories they shared always made her calmer, and now she was thinking at their last night together.

 

***

 

Even though they should have rested before the darkspawn army would have reached Denerim, it was not an option for the two women. Lyna allowed Leliana to dress her up in a gown and even took her lover to dance, and now she was trying to bluff her lover that she was exhausted and needed rest. She even got Morrigan to help with the bluffing, otherwise she would have never succeeded to trick the bard. When the two women opened the door to their room to go to sleep, Leliana froze in the door frame. She did not even imagine that they would share more than a few kisses and caresses before actually going to sleep, but what she saw was far from what she expected. The room was filled with candles, an almost spent fireplace crackling while giving its last breaths, and the whole room decorated with Andraste’s Grace, which were providing the most beautiful perfume Leliana could imagine. She just stood in the door, unable to take one more step, tears forming in her eyes. Joyful tears. She moved only when Lyna, the strong hunter who spent few minutes staring at her in awe with a massive grin lighting her face, swooped her off her feet and carried her to the bed.

They ended up making love several times throughout the night and then they just stood in a comfortable silence until the Warden could not keep her thoughts for herself anymore. Leliana did not want to talk though, preferring to stay lost in that moment forever and not think at the possible outcome the next day would bring. But it was crucial for Lyna to let the bard know everything she felt before going into a battle that could be fatal. She began explaining to Leliana one more time that if Riordan would fail to kill the Archdemon, then she would be the one who would deliver the final blow. She did not allow her lover to speak until she finished all that she had to say. The Warden needed to make Leliana understand. To understand that ending the Blight was her duty as their leader. To understand that it was her duty as a friend to protect Alistair, the future king of Ferelden. But at the same time it was her duty as a lover to protect Leliana and to spare her any pain. And giving the situation, there was a chance that she would not be able to spare Leliana the grief. Therefore, it was crucial to make her _understand_. It was crucial to let her know that _she_ was the only person she loved. The bard was the one who helped her get through her anger of shems and through the grief of losing Tamlen and her clan. Her lover was the shining light of her life and her moral compass and it was the beautiful woman in her arms who gave her the strength to see all of it through, including killing the Archdemon if it came to that. Even if she got Leliana to promise her that she will not put her life in danger in case Riordan failed, even though she made Leliana swear on their love that she will stop grieving and find someone else to spend her life with, Lyna still needed the help of the others to ensure her lover would keep those promises.

The first one to stop Leliana from doing something stupid was Alistair, poor Alistair. After the Orlesian Warden died fighting the Archedemon and Lyna took over his fight, it came to the other Warden to ensure that the bard was out of harm. He promised his blood sister he would stop Leliana from approaching, and even though it consumed him from the inside to see the elf fighting the beast instead of him, he gave his word. And nothing mattered more than his promise to her, not even the word as future King of Ferelden. So he let Lyna steal Leliana a last kiss, confess her love one more time before she ran and confronted the beast, while he was left to keep the bard from going anyway near her lover– which seemed to be a much harder job at the time. Oh, but she was feisty, and much stronger than he ever saw in their sparring sessions – where she always managed to escape his grips – but he could not allow himself to fail now. In order for Lyna to concentrate on the fighting she needed Leliana safe. So Alistair did just that, trying to avoid the bard’s punches and kicks and her evading moves. In all the chaos, a heartbroken Leliana even pulled her daggers out, but Alistair managed to remove them before she could hurt him. After what seemed like an eternity for all of them, the Archdemon fell dead, a massive explosion throwing both of them on the ground. Alistair used his body to shield his friend and he got out with only a few scratches on Cailan’s armour. After everything being settled and Leliana saying her goodbyes to her lover, it was with a strong punch aimed at Alistair’s jaw that she stormed off from there and headed for Denerim’s chantry. Leliana felt guilty after that, but Alistair could not fault her for nothing, the remorse for failing everybody by letting their Hero die was too much for the future King of Ferelden.

The next person who kept her promise to Lyna was, surprisingly, Morrigan. She followed the bard without her knowing – who was she kidding, obviously the redhead knew – until she made it safe to Valence, where she met with a Revered Mother from her past, the one who helped her once before. She even stayed around for a while to ensure the bard was safe and emotionally stable to not leave suddenly and put her life in danger. Obviously she did not go in the Chantry, not even Lyna could manage to pull that, but she did allow Leliana to introduce her to Mother Dorothea and even found herself trying to comfort the redhead. That last feat, managing to get her to comfort the bard, was not pulled by the late Warden, but by Wynne who threatened to hunt Morrigan down if she did not take care of Leliana. And even if love was a weakness and for fools, she supposed that those two should at least have had the chance to be foolish together. After a few days Morrigan got sick and tired of telling off Chantry sisters and continued her journey, not before allowing Leliana to take her goodbyes – obviously!

The person Lyna entrusted with Leliana’s future and the person who got her over her grief was Wynne, of course. Their relationship was special and Wynne put away Leliana’s past easily enough and treated the bard as her child. The Orlesian learned from Wynne what she could not learn from her mother or Lady Cecilie, how to grieve and how to move on with her life.

That was what she was doing now. Apparently having both Wynne and Dorothea, now Divine Justinia V, working as a team and pressuring her to stop hiding in the Chantry was something not even she could deal with. I mean, with enough persuasion she could convince one of them to back off, but _both_ , that was too much even for her. And that is how Leliana found herself answering an invitation to a ball for her return in Val Royeaux, thrown by an old friend.

 

***

 

The bard knew that sooner or later she had to come back into the society, and that the Orlesians would welcome her back with a feast and celebration. They would take every opportunity to brag that one of them was not only there to end the Blight, but the lover of the Hero of Ferelden, who saved all of Thedas from the Blight. So if she was to attend one of those celebrations, she supposed it was better if the party was thrown by her old friend, Josephine Montiyet, currently the Antivan Ambassador to the Imperial Court. So, that meant that the party was going to be filled with highly important nobles that wanted to put her high on a pedestal.

The best thing that came out of it was the fact that she was able to speak Orlesian with people who actually knew what she was saying and to _finally_ go shopping in the streets of Val Royeaux. Oh, how she missed the fine dresses and especially the shoes! Oh, so many shoes that she could fill an entire room with every single one she liked. It was truly a blessing to be able to do that in such a _long_ time. Last time she had a glimpse of it, was when she took Isolde with her and dressed Lyna for the party in Denerim.

Contemplation on the past times had to wait for later because they were approaching the estate Josephine choose for the party and she knew she had to let all the burdens away before she left the carriage. So she closed her eyes and prayed for her lost love one more time, reciting a part of the Chant of Light:

_“The Light shall lead her safely_

_Through the paths of this world, and into the next._

_For she who trusts in the Maker, fire is her water._

_As the moth sees light and goes toward flame,_

_She should see fire and go towards Light.”_

_For you, I am allowing myself to live, only if just for one day…_ Leliana said while stepping out of the carriage, before being greeted by the convoy.

Leading them was no one else but her old friend, dressed in a wonderful gown, Orlesian this time. She was in an ivory ball gown with glamorous crystals and pearl embellishments which adorned the scoop neckline with a gorgeous ruched tulle bodice and a voluminous tulle skirt, with crystal accents on the belt adorning the waist.

Leliana’s dress was not so different in style, as much as in colour. She came in a stunning sleeveless black and grey dress made from tulle and royal satin, adorned with bold, exquisite beaded lace cascading the bodice and skirt, trailing into a delicate illusion tulle train, leaving an open back. The dress was finished with a dramatic, plunging sweetheart neckline and an inner corset cut deep, but so well made that was creating the illusion that her chest was bare open, being at the same time intriguing and surprisingly discrete.

Leliana took a moment to see how much Josephine had changed since the last time they saw each other, while the other woman was rapidly coming towards the redhead. Leliana was taken by surprise by the hug she was pulled in, and for a brief second it showed on her face. The redhead saw that her reaction made the Antivan start blushing and feel embarrassed for the lack of subtlety, but it was exactly what the bard needed. Leliana’s smile widened much more than it did since the Blight ended, and she returned the embrace tighter than it was offered. They held each other like that until the people who accompanied the Ambassador became uncomfortable. Even so, they were in trusted company it seemed and it was the last chance they had to be that close to each other before attracting unwanted attention from the Orlesian nobility. As the two women broke part, Leliana proceeded to put her simple mask on. Soon enough there will be no need for it, as the Left Hand of the Divine does not comply with the same rules, but tonight it was imperative that she wears it, keeping her new position a secret for one more night.

As they walked in, Leliana at Josephine’s side, all the attention dropped on them. Everybody was there to meet the Veteran of the Fifth Blight and to sport the game. As Josephine presented her friend to some of the people, both political figures of Orlais and nobles alike, Leliana felt like she did not in a very long time, old memories resurfacing and the bard fell back into once the normal pace. Josephine spent some time with Leliana taking part of those conversations before she had to take care of some emergencies in the kitchens. In the meantime Leliana made her way through the people, meeting with politicians and bored nobles who wanted to hear how big the Archdemon was; how many Darkspawns she encountered; how were the Deep Roads; how many times she was close to death; if she really was the friend of the Ferelden king… some even asked her if there was more to that than friendship, but she was not going to tell people of the crush Alistair had on her.

Leliana soon found out that she did not lose her touch when it came to the game and she even exploited some high ranking officials and nobles of information without them even suspecting something. In a certain way she was enjoying to be out there in the world, but other than that is was a really boring party, politics being the main subject. She was used to parties where intrigue was the main theme and where she always had a target to play the game on, at the same time having _a lot_ of fun. Of course that she knew how to attend the formal parties, but as the first one to attend after so long, she did want something different. She found herself wanting to have fun with Josie, the aspiring bard she met so many years ago, but the woman was held up organising the party.

 

Josephine sorted out the incident with the food, the delivery of the desserts she planned for the evening was the wrong one and she had to send them back and convince the owner of the bakery to deliver what she ordered in a timely fashion. After ensuring that the right order was delivered, Josephine set out to return to the party, but could not bear herself to do that. Instead, she went to the closed balcony area from where she watched Leliana. She locked her gaze on her face, finding those deep blue eyes that she adored so much. Josephine got lost in her thoughts, trying to gather the courage to go to Leliana and tell her that she found the woman truly amazing. But how would Leliana take that? Was she even over the death of the Warden? Is three years enough time to move on? When Leliana was Marjolaine’s lover it was easier for the Antivan to keep her crush in check, and after Leliana’s sudden disappearance she even thought that the feelings were gone for good. Until she received word that Leliana was making her return to the Orlesian society, and Josephine’s feelings started emerging from where they were hiding. Looking back to where Leliana was, their looks met and she could swear that the redhead was giving her a stare, one which made the ambassador’s heart ache, her face blush and she broke the eye contact. She felt a Déjà-vu, like when she first talked to the bard. That made the ambassador unsure if she could restrain herself from making any indecent propositions or a fool of herself if she did approach her friend.

Speaking of which, looking back to the ballroom floor, she saw that Leliana disappeared. The Antivan seemed to have lost sight of her while being focused on her thoughts. She turned her gaze to look for the familiarity in the room, but finding only emotionless masks. With a sigh she turned and leaned with her left shoulder on the wall next to the balcony entrance, thinking that Leliana just left the party. She was soon taken aback by familiar hands seeking her out from behind and resting on her hips, her breath catching in her throat.

 

Leliana felt Josephine shudder at first, then relax into the embrace. She did not know where the impulse came to grab the ambassador like that, but she went with the flow and did not pull back.

 

Neither did Josephine, and the two women found themselves staying like that for a moment. Josephine closed her eyes and allowed herself to stay in the shadows with Leliana, trying really hard to get rid of the indecent thoughts forming in her mind. As she smelled the bard’s perfume her heart started beating harder in her chest and it became extremely difficult to restrain herself from materializing those thoughts. She did not know what to do, or what Leliana’s touch meant. She tried to turn and face her, but the other woman did not allow it yet.

 

Feeling the unease that crept into Josephine, the uncertainty, Leliana closed the gap between them, their bodies touching. Josephine could feel Leliana’s breath on her neck. She felt her own breathing calming down, while her heartbeat increased when feeling Leliana’s soft skin touching hers. From her neck, Leliana’s breath trailed upwards, resting next to her ear before hearing that sweet soft voice whispering:

 

“I missed you down there Josie…” Leliana said, and Josephine could feel the corners of the bard’s mouth forming into a smirk.

“I apologise, I had to take care of something,” came the short response, but it was all that she could manage to say. She felt tipsy being held like that by the woman she liked so much, almost like she drank two glasses of wine in a rush. But it all felt natural, like she finally felt complete. So maybe she could allow herself to be bold and play the game Leliana was laying down for her. “Is there _anything_ I can do to make up for my absence?” Josephine asked, mischief in her voice.

“Oh,” Leliana started, playfulness in her words. “I can definitely think of something. Are you sure you entrust me with that? You could change your mind now, before it would be too late,” she whispered in Josephine’s ear and tightened the grip on her hips.

Josephine found herself lost for words, and the only thing she could do was to nod in agreement, which was playing out just like Leliana planned it would.

“Good, then let’s get out of here and have some fun while the night is still young. Do not take me wrong, I love you for the welcoming, but those people bore me to death. I do not want my last party as 'just Leliana’ to be like this. I want _a real party!_ ”

Hearing the other woman’s plans, Josephine turned to face Leliana, both of them still hidden in the shadows. Putting her arms on the bard’s and a smile on her own face, she assured the other woman that she was alright leaving the party _she_ organised.

“I will go anywhere with you, Leliana, but first I should…”

She could not continue her line of thought, being interrupted by the bard, a finger pursing her lips.

“You worry too much, Josie…” Leliana said, feinting an exasperated, but at the same time, playful tone. “But I already knew that, so I took the liberty to talk to your staff and they will take care of the rest of the things in your absence.”

Josephine’s smile widened while looking into Leliana’s eyes. “Alright, let’s do this! But, I think we should sneak out before anyone tries to stop us.”

Leliana made a step back and took the ambassador’s hand, heading for the kitchens. “Just leave that to me.”


	5. Sister Nightingale, Indeed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old friends - and new ones - play some Wicked Grace....

Chapter V - Sister Nightingale, Indeed

 

 

“Where are we going Leliana? And why did we have to change our outfits?” Josephine wondered.

“Do not worry about it Josie, you will see soon. Have a little faith in me and you will love it.”

“Do you even know who is at this party?” Josephine’s voice was resonating with doubt.

Leliana caught that and stopped on the spot, turning towards her friend. “We will meet with a friend of mine that was my companion during the Blight. I think you might like him, giving the fact that you have something in common; both of you being Antivans. You worry too much now, Josie… What happened to the aspiring bard I met all those years ago? Is she still in there?” She paused until Josephine relaxed and nodded in confirmation. “Magnifique! Now, see that building over there? That is where we are going, so come on!”

The building Leliana was referring to was looking like a very large deposit house from the outside. She could hardly imagine that people could hold parties in such places, but the first sign that it was indeed a party was the noise which reached Josephine soon after Leliana encouraged her to go forward. She did not know what to expect, so the noise was somewhat preparing her for what was to come. It started as a murmur and gradually grew, until she could pick up fragments of music, rhythm of drums, and also voices chattering and laughing. But not even knowing all that could prepare her for what she saw after Leliana opened the doors. She stopped dead in the entrance, staring at the gathering of people moving from one side to another. She was staggered, assaulted by the rush of noise and colours coming from inside. The placed seemed too crowded and the people too busy celebrating. After Leliana forced her to step inside, she took a moment to assess the new sight.

The music she heard from outside was coming from a group of people, humans and elves alike, who were performing from a small platform situated on her far left. Having a look at the people dancing in front of them she saw a lot of dwarves, and almost an equal number of humans and elves spread between them. She could even swear that she saw some taller people walking – running most likely – around, their horns standing out from the crowd. Qunari by the looks of it.

She was taken aback by all the commotion, groups of elves and humans dancing, well, jumping, clapping and singing mostly, dwarves stomping the floor in what seemed a traditional dwarven dance without any mistake, indistinct conversations in languages she could not understand or could not make out properly, all of it making her feel too small and lost. Gladly, Leliana took care of that, grabbing her hand and making way through the people constantly moving, heading for one of the room’s corners that seemed to lead to a back area. She did not look where they were going though, too concentrated at the touch of the bard’s hand in hers. Josephine just smiled and followed Leliana silently until she realised they were into a more open place. That was when Leliana stopped, turned to face her and spoke:

“Okay, just to warn you before we meet my friend, he is… quite straight forward, to say the least, but it should not be very different from what you deal with daily.”

“I’m sure I will be fine, Leli. Let’s go and meet this friend of yours.”

As the women approached the elf, he excused himself from the company of the two women who seemed already enraptured by his Antivan charm. When he came close to Leliana, he did not hesitate to spread his arms towards his friend.

“Oh, my dear Leliana, it has been far too long since I have seen your lovely face,” he said, a huge grin plastered on his face.

Leliana, slightly reluctant, gave in to his charms and went for a warm hug. It felt good to be around Zevran again, bringing back pleasant memories. When she did not feel his arms fall lower than her back and did not hear any lecherous comments, she knew something was not quite as it should be. She pulled back, arched an eyebrow at the former Crow and spoke her concern.

“What is wrong, Zevran? No propositions or sexual jokes?”

“That’s so unlike me… I have reformed my ways. You wound me, dear woman.”

“No, Zev, you have not changed one bit.”

Looking behind Leliana at the company she brought with herself, and then at his friend, Zevran placed a finger over his lips. “Shhh, do not spoil my chances here…” he said with a wink towards his fellow Antivan.

A look of realisation crossed over Leliana’s face, who turned to the woman she brought with her and gestured for the ambassador to come forward.

“Zevran, this is Josephine Cherette Montilyet, an old friend of mine and the chief ambassador from Antiva to Orlais.”

Zevran took a low bow, never breaking eye contact with his new acquaintance. “A pleasure to meet you, milady.”

Leliana turned back to the other woman, “Josie, this is Zevran…”

“Zevran of House Arainai, former first Talon of the Antivan Crows,” Josephine interjected before Leliana could properly introduce the two.

“Ah, I see my reputation precedes me.”

“Well, the Antivan Crows are more than a guild of assassins, they are a political force to be reckon with, holding the power in our mother nation, are they not? And that only says more about you, killing key members of the house. Every Crow is afraid to take the position of grandmaster of a house that is being dismantled by the “Black Shadow”. I personally find the name silly, but we do not chose those ourselves, do we?”

Both Leliana and Zevran looked at the young ambassador in awe.

“And I thought that I have my ways around secrets,” Leliana said, throwing the former bard a look of what could be interpreted as pure desire. The same look was stronger on Zevran’s face. The assassin turned to his friend, wearing the same sly smile Leliana knew so well.

“I like her!” Zevran exclaimed.

“I do not doubt that for a second,” Leliana replied, her look never leaving Josephine’s, who was now blushing slightly under the attention she was receiving from the redhead.

That detail did not escape the elf who made a mental note not to pursue the dalliance further. _But Leliana might need a slight push of competition in order to allow herself to move forward…_

“As much as it pains me to leave your company, lovely lady, I would like to excuse myself for a few moments while I attend some pressuring business with our mutual friend over here.” Zevran said while making a polite exit and then waited for Leliana to join him to a more secluded place.

The bard approached her friend, who did not know what was happening.

“I am afraid that is not only fun for me tonight, Josie.” Leliana lost her detached tone she had before and hardened her voice. “I apologise for not telling you before, but as you know, Divine Justinia named me her Left Hand. I asked Zevran for his help in uncovering some contracts few of the Grand Clerics have signed with the Crows for an assassination job.”

Josephine’s pupils dilated in disbelief. “An assassination contract on the Divine?” she asked a bit too loud for her friend’s taste. Realising what she did, Josephine covered her mouth with her hands. “I am sorry, Leliana, it was careless of me.”

With a quick look at the other people around them, the Orlesian realised that she can exhale the breath she was holding. With a warm smile on her face and taking Josephine’s hands, she went on assuring the ambassador that things were fine.

“It’s alright, Josie. No one interested enough seemed to hear, so we are in the clear. I am sorry to do this tonight, but it is the only chance I got. I promise it will take just a few moments and then I will make it up to you,” she said with a wink that made the Antivan shiver.

“You do not have to trouble yourself with that, Leliana, I understand. Divine Justinia might be in danger, so nothing is more important than your job right now.”

Letting go of the pair of hands she was holding, Leliana turned to follow Zevran, but not before adding one last comment.

“Trust me, there is nothing that resembles _inconvenience_ in making it up to you.”

Only when she thought that the bard was out of earshot, the Antivan allowed a pleasurable sigh escape her. What she did not know, however, was that the redhead picked up a few skills during the Blight, one being an acute perception of sounds.

Feeling proud of the effect she had on the other woman, Leliana allowed her smile to spread into a grin. When she reached Zevran, he was the first to speak.

“It is good to see you _like this_ , my dear Leliana.”

The redhead did not fall for his tricks. “What do you _really_ want to say, Zevran?”

“Oh, I think you know that, but very well, let’s not run around in circles. Lyna would be pleased to see that you are finally allowing yourself to move forward. And knowing her, I think she would approve the choice of the ambassador.”

Leliana knew that what Zevran was saying was true, but to hear the words out loud made her heart break all over again. Even so, she could not allow herself to slip, so she steeled her heart and put on an unreadable face.

“You are mistaken, Zevran, there is nothing between Josephine and I. I swear that you see only what you want when you think sex might be involved.”

“Normally I would agree with you in this matter, Leliana, but answer me this: wasn’t I right about you and the Warden and all you did was to dismiss me when the matter came up?”

The bard shot him a look that he could swear it felt like the pierce of a dagger.

“This is hardly the same thing, Zevran. I still love Lyna and I intend to keep my promise to her.”

“So do I!” the assassin shot back in an instant to catch the woman’s attention. He then softened up and continued. “You promised to not forget her, not to stop yourself from loving someone else. Plus, you know that she would want you to be happy again…”

“I-I know that she would want that… but I cannot. And it is not like I am falling in love with Josie.”

“Maybe not yet, but you need to know that it is alright to allow yourself to do that. There is room in your heart for two lovers, Leliana, _I_ would know.”

Before replying, Leliana gave him an empathetic look, remembering what Zevran told her about his past and about his lovers. “But I am hardly flirting and it feels both right and wrong at the same time. The mere thought of loving again is…”

Leliana did not finish the sentence because she did not know how. Would it be that hard to allow herself to love someone again? And Josephine was not just anyone, but a dear friend.

Seeing the distress in his friend, Zevran tried a different approach. “Weren’t you the one who convinced our dear Witch of the Wilds, Morrigan, that love is not a weakness and that we should embrace those feelings? We are talking about small steps, Leliana. A bit of flirting never killed anyone…” He paused for a moment before rectifying. “Well, we _both_ know that flirting can be fatal for some, but not in this case. You know what I meant…”

His comment was like lifting a stone from her chest and Leliana could not help but giggle.

“Yes, we both know how many foolish people thought the same. Thank you, Zev, I… I needed that.”

“That’s what I am here for. Speaking of which…”

In an instant the previous talk was put aside and they both became focused on the more pressuring things.

“Yes, what do you have for me?”

“Oh, some intriguing things. It was not hard to find those responsible for the threats you received. And yes, they are more than just threats. Apparently nothing changed in Antiva and the only people desperate enough to take on a mission like this are either people looking for a way out, like I was, or in this case, the House wanting to take back the First Talon. I saw first-hand how desperate they become when they want to get back to the top. Oh, I have my best memories from those times.”

Leliana snapped her fingers twice in front of him to pull him out of his reverie. “Focus, Zevran. What plan do you have for me?”

Zevran only smirked. “One that would benefit the both of us and that would allow us to reminiscence old times.”

“Okay, let’s hear it,” the bard became intrigued.

“Well, you want to protect the Divine and take care of the schemes set up by the opposition group of Grand Clerics, while I want to take any chance of weakening the guild. So, why don’t we work together in taking care of both? Just you and me, no one else.”

It was Leliana’s time to smirk. “Is that another attempt of yours to prove that you can best me? If so, I must warn you that it will fail like all previous ones.”

“Me?! I would never do such thing, Leliana… I was merely looking for an opportunity to be reminded how the Chant of Light falls off your lips.”

“Hey! That was one time in Denerim and the other parties are not here to confirm your wild stories, so…”

“Oh, you really think that, don’t you?”

Zevran smirked, too full of himself, while Leliana furrowed her brow.

“What do you mean, Zevran?”

“When I invited you here for a party I meant it. Come on, don’t keep your _friend_ away from the fun.” The sneaky assassin said as he went back to Josephine and then guided both women through a narrow hallway and towards a secluded room.

Both women looked at each other confused, and Josephine silently told Leliana to find out where they were heading.

“Yes so, Zevran, where are you taking us?” the bard finally spoke.

“To meet some of my friends that are playing a game of Wicked Grace… although if you prefer to be taken on high peaks of pleasure, I could accommodate that.”

The ambassador stifled a laugh, while Leliana shot her a look.

“I do not doubt your eagerness to do just that but you.are.just…”

Zevran could not hold back his laugh any longer. “I know, I know. Terrible… I haven’t changed a bit.”

It was the bard’s time to laugh and Josephine felt better seeing Leliana allowing herself to have some fun. The sound of her laughter was a lovely one, and it made the Antivan wonder how other sounds would be coming from her friend. But she could not contemplate on that for long, hearing the two talking and feeling herself blush under the embarrassment caused by her own thoughts.

“If you think that I haven’t changed, then you will like this…” the assassin said and then went on to open the door in front of them, allowing the women to enter first. The sound of chatter slowly faded as all the people gathered around a table stopped and waited for Zevran to make the introductions.

The elf introduced them as the Antivan ambassador and Sister Nightingale. The closest person sitting next to Leliana was a petite elven woman with complex vallaslin writings on her face. Zevran introduced her as being Merrill. Next was a rugged, but charming dwarf by the name of Varric Tethras, and the redhead could swear that she recently saw a picture of him surrounded by 5 females somewhere. To his right was a muscular woman with ginger hair, dressed in an officer uniform, having a serious expression on her face. From what Leliana knew, she was Kirkwall’s guard captain Aveline Vallen. To her right at the round table was Kirkwall’s Champion, a female with strong blue eyes and short black hair framing her face, Marian Hawke. The last person sitting at the table was a familiar looking female with dark skin, piercings, jewelleries, a generous cleavage and hair held by a blue bandana.

When she and Leliana finally looked at each other, the woman seemed pleasantly shocked.

“Leliana?” she asked, much to the surprise of everyone in there except Zevran.

“Isabela?” Leliana’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Sister Nightingale, indeed. I remember it didn’t take much to make you sing…” the pirate said with a lecherous smile and a wink towards the bard.

At that Leliana could only laugh awkwardly, reach out to thread her hand through the hair at the back of her head and feel her face become hot from blushing.

“I like singing! Were you in a choir together?” came the question from the elven women, who seemed to miss the reference.

“Not exactly, Kitten,” Isabela interjected.

“Is there anyone we meet that you did not sleep with, Rivaini?”

Josephine simply raised her eyebrows at that, finding about the dalliance her friend entertained herself with, while Zevran seemed pleased that he surprised his fellow rogue.

After a moment of considering the situation, Merrill spoke again.

“Oh, is that what she… oh. _Oh!”_

Zevran let out a pleasant sigh at the memories, while Leliana felt herself blush some more.

Hawke and Aveline spoke, at the same time, what was on Josephine’s mind. “Wait a minute…”

“What exactly happened between you three?” Hawke continued after making herself more comfortable in her chair. By the time she finished, everyone was looking between them, and Varric was already planning another book.

Isabela rolled her eyes but went on entertaining her lover. “Well, if you ought to know, Hawke, during the Blight, Leliana was traveling with the Hero of Ferelden…”

 “I am not drunk enough for this story,” the redhead interjected as she let out a sigh and took a sit at a table next to the elven woman, helping herself with pouring some mead into an abandoned cup, Zevran’s most probably.

Josephine took the empty chair next to Leliana and Zevran the only one left, between Josephine and Isabela, who stopped relating the story to her lover.

After a moment of contemplation, Merrill awoke from her memories and suddenly turned towards the bard.

“You travelled with the Hero… with Lyna Mahariel? Were you… were you close?”

Isabela internally cursed herself for forgetting how sensitive Merrill was at the mention of her late friend and clan member people were referring to as the Hero of Ferelden.

At the mention of her ex-lover’s name, Leliana’s face saddened and Josephine placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her friend. The bard was unable to speak, so Isabela had to try and make things right.

“They were as close as you can get to someone, Kitten. They were lovers…”

Hawke tried to join in to comfort their friend. “I am sorry you had to be remembered of your friend, Merrill. And you, Leliana.”

At Hawke’s words, the bard lifted her eyes from the floor and looked at the elf in front of her.

“Are you _the_ Merrill, First to clan Sabrae?”

At that, the elf gave her a shy smile and nodded in agreement.

“Oh,” Leliana felt her sadness dissipate. “Lyna spoke highly of you. I am happy to finally meet you.” With that, the redhead spread her arms wide and Merrill accepted the embrace from the woman who was there for her friend on her last journey.

When they pulled back from the hug, Merrill was the first to speak. “I am glad that Lyna had people close to her and that she was surrounded by friends.” A pause. “I needed to know that in order to get some closure. Thank you Sis--“

“Leliana,” the bard corrected.

“Thank you, Leliana.” Merrill said with a smile on her face.

Unbeknown to any of them, Merrill managed to put the atmosphere on its previous path, and before anyone caught the change, Isabela was done retelling the events that transpired between the three of them and Lyna during the Blight.

Meanwhile, Leliana’s blush reappeared and she needed a drink to make herself feel more comfortable.

 

***

 

After a couple of drinks and several games of Wicked Grace, the situation was looking better for the redhead. She fell back to her pace and won an impressive number of hands, even though not as many as Josephine, who was the leader.

Zevran and Isabela were too predictable if they did not try to cheat, their moves being the classical ones used by all the aspiring bards in Val Royeaux, with a slight of foreign spice.

The non-rogue members like Aveline and Merrill did not stand a chance, and even if Varric Tethras was known for his charm, the storyteller seemed out of his game that night.

That meant that Hawke and Josephine were her biggest competitors. With Josephine, Leliana was pleasantly surprised to see that her friend did not lose neither her wit, nor her bard training. On top of that, she apparently was a skilled negotiator and manipulator. Even if Leliana was the most suited person to see through the ambassador, she enjoyed the thrill her friend had every time she won, so the redhead settled for letting her friend take the better part of the winnings.

The Champion was charming, with a keen eye and even a talented mouth, but her weakness was her lover. Isabela kept losing her money, being overzealous and trying to prove a point, and now she was losing Hawke’s money as well, giving the fact that the woman could not help not give her the earnings she rightfully made. Fortunately for her, Isabela realised that she was depleting her friend’s money, so she suggested on changing the game a bit.

 

***

  

“Playing Wicked Grace on alcohol wasn't your best idea Rivaini. You definitely got Daisy drunk.” Varric said when Merrill had to lean on him in order to keep the room from spinning for the fourth time in a _too short_ span of time.

“Be thankful that she did not suggest playing strip Wicked Grace. At least she would not be a sore loser. Taking off her clothes is what she does best.” Aveline taunted the pirate as they always did.

“Look at you being funny! That might even get you a man someday.” Isabela went back at it.

“As fun as it would be to stay and hear some more of this,” Varric tried to distract them before they went too far, “someone needs to take our drunken dalish elf home.”

That seemed to get Aveline’s attention who reconsidered her priorities. “I'll help you, not all the places are safe, even in Val Royeaux.”  

Without too much of an effort, Varric and Aveline helped Merrill stand up so that they could take their leave. Hawke offered her help, but Aveline thought it would be a better idea if she would stay behind, giving the high chances that one of the other two rogues would be in the same situation as Merrill. 

“I guess the moral of the story is, dear Isabela, ‘Never bet against an Antivan!’” Zevran added with an air of confidence.

“Oh, if that Antivan is you, I guess we are safe.” Leliana said, causing everyone to laugh.

Zevran’s hands shot straight to his heart in an attempt to look hurt. “You wound me, dear lady.” A pause. “But, now that we are in a more selected company, shall we continue?” he said while giving all the women around him his characteristic smile.

“With what? Isabela lost all our money. Or should I say, my money?” Hawke gave his lover a piercing stare.

“I did not!”  

After Hawke shot her another incredulous look. Isabela tried to get out of it with a pout, but was not successful.

 “Fine… But you know, Aveline was right, we should play strip Wicked Grace.”

“Aaand now she wants to lose all our clothes.”  

“Oh, spare me, Hawke, you'll lose your clothes until the morning for me either way.”  

There was a quiet _‘fair '_ _nough’_ coming from Hawke, and then the pirate continued.  

“But there is a sight I did not delight my eyes with in three years... And it's not you, Zev!” She silenced the elf as he was trying to come up with a witty remark.  

Leliana, who stayed quiet for a while, finally found the perfect time to make her voice known. "Hmm, it seems to me like you are in a certain advantage here. You have so much to gain for winning. But what if you lose?"  

"Oh, my dear Leliana, it seems you forgot how I _play_. Do you need a private lesson to be remembered?"  

"I remember exactly how you play, Isabela... Dirty. And with that said, I need more of a… compensation."  

"Okay, how about this? If you get to make me remove all my clothes, the last piece to come off is yours to keep it as a souvenir... Or to do whatever you see fit."  

"Okay, I agree..." Said the redhead with a smirk, ideas of what she would do with Isabela’s clothes already forming in her mind.

"Not so fast, songstress... As you can see, I am in a slightly disadvantage. In the end it is four against one; the situations in which I win are far less likely than the ones where I lose. So, what do _you_ have to offer?"  

"Besides refreshing your memory with a certain visual experience?"  

"Oh, I would need something more palpable for that vision to truly come to life." 

But Leliana did not fall into the trap easily. "That is true, but I am afraid that something is missing. Ah, I remember now, your ship... Hmm, it's a shame I cannot accommodate that without the special decorum." 

Hawke, completely baffled by the way Leliana – Sister Leliana – was flirting, turned towards Isabela. “And you said she was a cloister sister? I dare say the Chantry must be teaching things other than the Chant of Light these days.” 

Hawke was not the only one bewildered by the situation. All three of them were watching the exchange, each in its own way. Zevran was the most fortunate one because he actually knew exactly what the two women were taking about, giving the fact that he was present three years ago. There weren't few people who could brag that they were engaged into a ménage-a-trois, as the Orlesians were calling it, but being with three women at the same time, now that was no small feat.  

Hawke, just like Zevran, had her share of lovers, but none of them compared with Isabela. The pirate was hard to impress, Hawke came to realise that, and just the fact that she was desperately trying to negotiate with the bard was saying a lot. Usually Isabela did not need to persuade her lovers to join her, well, maybe only Hawke, but that's because they were both too stubborn, so seeing her take out all her weapons out in order to get Leliana made Marian curious on how would the bard sing.  

With Josephine was a whole different story. On one hand, her attraction to the bard was undeniable, so just listening to her friend flirting made her want to be on the receiving end. On the other hand, Isabela reminded her of the Rivaini pirates from the stories she knew, the ones that come up and scoop maidens off their feet and take them on adventures on the seas. When she was a teenager she often stood in the port by her family’s ships, reading a book about pirates and dreaming on how it would be like to meet one and let herself be _captured._ Being lost in that memory, as soon as she heard the word ‘ship’, Josephine could not stop herself from shouting: "I have a ship in the docks!"  

When she realised what just happened, it was too late to take it back. All eyes were on her. Leliana’s face was one of pure shock, Hawke and Zevran were both intrigued by where this was going, while Isabela was like a pirate that uncovered a chest filled with gold, smirking and full of herself.  

"So, now that the young ambassador has provided me with a ship from her own fleet, I guess there is nothing stopping us from continuing. That is if Lady Montilyet is comfortable with me... _sailing her ship_..." The pirate said with a wink towards Josephine.

“I would not be so confident if I were you, Isabela. As you know, I have been up on my game the whole night, while yours was not as fortuitous.”

“Ah, but you see, songstress, the stake wasn’t as appealing as what is provided now in case I win.”

Everyone was keenly watching the exchange, not daring even a louder breath, waiting for the next line coming from Leliana. But knowing that Isabela was ready for anything she would say, the bard focused on getting things started.

_‘It’s going to be an interesting night…’_

“So, Zev, are you going to stare all night, or are you going to deal us in?”

“Oh, what?” it took the elf a second to register what the redhead was saying. “Yes, right away.”

"Just don't bet anything you're not prepared to lose." Isabela had to have the last word.

 

***

 

In order to make the game more interesting, they were playing with two decks. Which meant higher chances for good hands if they were playing their cards right. With so much at stake, Isabela definitely needed to do just that. Her newfound interest was clearly shown, because she started winning the majority of the hands.

Unfortunately for her, that not meant that Leliana was losing. The people who started losing clothes were mostly Zevran and Hawke, even though Josephine joined them on the last hand. The bard did not allow herself to be distracted by that thought. She knew Isabela was cheating, saw it for herself when the pirate played with Lyna, so she had to stay vigilant to catch her.

“See that, songstress?” Isabela pointed to a shirtless Zevran. “That means you are next.”

Leliana just smiled at first, seeing Isabela so determined. The pirate’s overzealousness would be her end, and she knew exactly how to take advantage of that.

“So confident in your skills, Isabela. But you forget that I saw _all of them_ before.” The bard then looked over to Zevran, who was one hand away from going nude. “What do you say, Zev, shall we start playing as well?”

“Oh, Leliana… I thought you will never ask.” The elf gave the bard a wink and started dealing.

The two rogues spent a lot of time during the Blight learning tricks from each other, and that was not only for combat purposes. After a couple of months on the road, they both realised that their party was in a much need of a way to destress and relax, so they purchased a pack of cards and they started teaching their companions different card games like Wicked Grace, Diamondback or Chanson d’Argent. Soon enough, their rivalry in combat migrated to the card games, and being almost equally matched in that category as well, they started finding new ways of getting an edge over the other. If they were to use those skills working in a team, over a… let’s say common enemy, then that “enemy” should be extremely careful.

Isabela had her suspicions, but she knew that Leliana would not cheat in order to gain an advantage. At least not with the ambassador watching her so closely. And she was right, neither Leliana, nor Zevran manipulated the cards for their own advantage, they just manipulated them to nullify her tricks. Which meant that Hawke won the last hand, while she lost, therefore being forced to start stripping.

_‘Damn them!’_

Another round, same outcome. She lost, while Josephine was the winner this time. If this would go on, she would be in the same position as Zevran soon enough. She needed a new strategy. When she tried to coax her lover on her team to even the field, she received a straight up ‘leave me out of your tricks, I’m here just for the game’ answer. Getting Josephine on her own team was out of question, so she needed a different approach.

If she could not get someone on her team, at least she could make Leliana lose her partner.  It took her three more rounds and another discarded piece of clothing, but she got Zevran eliminated. Hawke was the one to take his place, being one hand away from leaving the table, while Josephine was halfway there.

 ---

Losing her advantage over Isabela, and with the pirate stepping up her game, Leliana was not able to counter her entirely. After a few more games, the bard was in the same position as Isabela. Without Zevran it was almost impossible to help Hawke and Josie to stay decent, while not losing herself. A few more rounds like this and she would have to make good on the promise.

Luckily for her, Hawke saw what she was trying to do and stepped in.

“Isabela, stop! Look, everyone here knows what you are doing and it stopped being fun. This challenge is between the two of you and Leliana should not have to cover for us on her own detriment.” The Champion then gave the attractive bard a look that showed her appreciation before continuing. “While I would not mind seeing what is behind that exterior, I prefer it to be a fair fight. So the two of you should play, however you guys want, but I am out, and so should be Lady Montilyet.”

After a moment of contemplation, Isabela spoke. “Fine, traitor! I guess it was a cheap trick, but it evened up what Zevran did.”

“Hey, keep me out of this, I am a mere observer.” The elf emphasised his point by eyeing every woman in the room.

“So, Isabela, how do you want to play this?”

“You chose, songstress.”

“Bring on everything you have then.”

“Oh, spicy! Are you sure you want to play like this?”

“You are underestimating me, Isabela. Until now, I played fair. Plus, where would the fun be otherwise?”

“Keep tempting me like that, Leliana, and you will see what I will end up doing to you…”

“You have to win first.”

“Then let’s play, so we can retreat afterwards…”

 

***

 

They started a game of wits, probably one of the most even set of matches ever seen in a game of cards. Both women were being perceptive to any extra movement, any sign that could indicate the nature of their hands, while at the same time doing their best to hide their own tricks.

Both women were having an advantage over the other. While Leliana learned how to play and master the card game from Marjolaine, being a good teaching tool for the Grand Game, it has been a while since her last game.

Isabela, on the other hand, appeared to have the habit of playing, but just like Leliana’s case, it has been a while since she last faced such a skilled opponent. Which meant that in the end, it all came to who was the most skilled out of them, because they were equally motivated.

It was a very fierce battle, but Leliana proved to be the better player. Both women were impressive, but growing up training as a bard, becoming a master in manipulation, deception, subterfuge and having a keen eye, made her best her opponent.

Isabela may have lost, but not without putting up a good fight and giving Leliana a run for her money – or clothes in this case. The pirate tried every trick available to her. She cold stacked the deck, but Leliana saw and countered with her own moves of changing the cards around in order to ruin Isabela’s plans. She then tried to palm cards, draw two at a time, constantly count the cards, but every time she did that, Leliana would find even the smallest way to be a torn in the back, while not actually cheating herself. The only thing that appeared to be working and made Isabela undress the bard out of her outer clothes was hiding good cards about her person, but that failed when she had to give up her clothes that made good hiding spots.

In the end it became extremely close. Isabela kept only her smallclothes, while Leliana had only one item more than her. Maybe afraid of losing, or of taking the risks, Leliana changed her tactics and rigged the deck herself, without the pirate noticing. Apparently the bard read Isabela’s moves and tried to be a copy-cat. When the Angel of Death came into play, both women had to show their hands. Isabela was certain that she would even the score and expose the most important parts of the bard’s upper body with her hand made of four ‘Angels of Fortitude’ and the ‘Serpent of Deceit’. Her early celebration was cut short when she saw that Leliana’s hand was composed of four ‘Angels of Truth’ and the ‘Pelerine Slip-Knife Dagger’. The pirate was certain that the redhead did not chose the cards randomly, but with a certain purpose, and the irony of their cards, especially the two kickers was not lost on her.

“What’s fair is fair, songstress… There you go, my end of the deal.” The pirate said while offering Leliana her last piece of clothing, her smallclothes as a trophy. She did not know what the bard’s purpose was for them, but just knowing the fact that they were in the redhead’s possession made her feel a little bit better about herself.

“You know, when we started the challenge I did not think that you wore any smallclothes, let alone that the night will end with me winning them.”

“Then it seems that you got better than you have expected. Do you think that you can still make good on the offer, by any chance?” Isabela added, her eyes shining with hope.

“As tempting as that sounds, I think I will pass this time.”

There was a brief genuine look of sorrow on the pirate’s face, one that was not missed by the ambassador.

“Maybe Leliana will not make good on her offer, but I will. I offer you my ship and you can use it however you see fit.” A pause. “Just, try and not break stuff…. Or, leave stuff… Actually, you can do whatever, as long as I do not find out what.”

Hearing Josephine’s offer made both Hawke and Isabela feel like they stumbled upon gold.

“Well, I guess your game was impressive and your hands were skilled while handling those cards. So, maybe you can show me _how_ skilled they really were,” Marian told her lover.

“Actually Hawke, I think _I_ am better than Isabela at… using my hands, or my tongue for that matter. Just saying…” Leliana teased.

Even though she knew it was just a tease, Hawke could not help feeling hopeful, or aroused. With a glance stolen towards her lover, she had to politely decline Leliana’s offer.

The bard was not expecting any other answer, but the glint in Hawke’s eyes told her how tempted the Champion was by the offer, and she made a mental note to store that information for later, in case she ever needed it.

With the game done and with the prospect of a night on a ship, Isabela and Hawke put an end to the night and all of them left the party. Before departing though, Isabela had a certain thing left unanswered.

“So, songstress, what are you going to do with your winnings from tonight? Keep them as a souvenir?”

Knowing the pirate too well, Leliana realised that Isabela was looking for a way to have the last word, so she made sure that would not happen.

“I guess that is for me to know… and for you to find out.”

The dagger look she received from the pirate before Hawke took her away was worth every challenge she had to overcome to get to this end of the night.

 

***

 

“So, what do you actually plan on doing with your winnings?” Josephine pointed towards Isabela’s smallclothes from Leliana’s hand.

“I’m not really sure, Josie. It was never about the ‘prize’ for me.”

“But then what was it for, because you took a huge risk betting against her. The ‘prize’ she would have won…” Josephine’s voice and thoughts trailed. “Unless you…”

“No!” Leliana said, maybe a bit too soon. “That was not what I intended, Josie. I would have honoured the bet if it would have come to that, but… like I said, it was not my intention, even if Isabela is a charming woman…”

Josephine realised how much she needed to hear that, even if it made her feel like a hypocrite. She knew that if she would have been in Leliana’s shoes, she would have acted differently and most probably spend the night with the dashing pirate captain.

“I could see that… But if that wasn’t you goal, then what was it?”

“Believe it or not, to prove to myself that I will not be in over my head as a Left Hand. I needed to know if I can do the job; if I can still play The Game; if I can manipulate and deceit people while they do not notice; If I am able to keep my eyes open and watch for anything out of the ordinary… I had to know if I can adapt and not fail. So, beating Isabela at her own game was my own trial.”

“I did not realise that, Leliana. I did not know what a Left Hand needs to do in order to protect the Divine, or what it is at stake…”

“That’s because you retained the innocence I saw in you all those years back. You may not have strayed from that path too much, because you are the same skilled player of The Game and a _very_ charming woman that knows how to use what she’s got, but I am glad you chose a different path than mine, Josie. The world, and especially the Grand Game is full of predators, so I am glad that you now play it with sweet words instead of poisoned daggers. But I… I cannot do that, Josie. For me, Dorothea – Divine Justinia, is more than just the Divine. She saved my life and gave me hope and meaning when I held none, while becoming both my mentor and my friend. And… in the same way she cared about me, she wants to care for this world.

The world that needs some changes that will not be willingly accepted by everyone. Therefore, I need to be there to protect her from the those who threaten not only her life, but also the chance for peace. And the only way that I can do that is by leaving the ‘Leliana’ that I became during the Blight, or even the part of me that you came to know after we met, and become the Nightingale…” Leliana had to stop and gather her courage to continue her thoughts. She had to tell Josephine this before it became too hard, but she could not look the ambassador in the eyes, so she shielded her gaze away before resuming. “I am not sure that it is safe for you around the Nightingale, Josie, so I think we should…”

“No!” the Antivan shot in a matter of seconds. She then took a big breath to regain her composure. “What I meant to say is that if I am not safe around the Nightingale, then I will stay around Leliana – my dear friend and… maybe more than that?”

“But, Josie, I-“

“Hey, let’s not rush things,” the ambassador said as she closed the distance between them. “We will see where this is going, alright?”

Leliana was finally able to lift her head to look her friend in the eyes, and slowly nod, a shy smile tugging at her lips.

“Now, what about those panties? What would _Leliana_ do with them?”

Being grateful for the change of subject, Leliana looked around herself and saw a Chantry nearby. A wicked idea formed in her mind so she took Josephine’s hand and they both rushed to it, stopping in front of the board where people were posting different announcements.

“I guess Leliana would…” she took a piece of charcoal, a pin and an empty piece of paper on which she scribbled something. After she was done, she pinned the paper and Isabela’s smallclothes to the Chantry board.

With a satisfied smirk she turned to a giggling Josephine. “Come on, let me walk you home.”

And like that, both women walked hand-in-hand away from the Chantry and its board, leaving behind a small present for visitors and a note that was reading ‘Lost property of Rivaini Captain Isabela. If found, please return to the docks with the greatest of urgency.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got the chance to make good on the description and use all the characters tagged. Sorry for the long wait...  
> I hope the next update will be sooner - giving the fact that I have most of it sorted out - but who knows what life will decide to throw my way... again.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Annien.


	6. Nightingale's Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to start by apologising for the wait on this long overdue update. Apparently all sort of things happened that hindered my progress on this story, from writer's block, to a long illness that not only did not help with my mood of writing but also threw me deeper into the creative block I had, to all sorts of small things that stopped me from finding the time to actually write. 
> 
> But last night I decided that I had enough of it and somehow I managed to double the word count and finally go through everything that I had planned for this part of the story. Which unfortunately (or fortunately, depends how you see things) made this into a monster of a chapter with 19k words, so I decided to split it in two parts. 
> 
> Because I intended for these events to be condensed into one update, and to make up for the long lag between the chapters, I decided to publish both of them at the same time. 
> 
> Now, I am not making any promises anymore about the future updates because I would hate to have to break them, so I guess that I do not know when the next update will be, but I am planning on realeasing more of them. I feel like I just put Leliana (and the story) on a new path and pushed the 'run' button. Want to stay with me and see where that will lead? 
> 
> Annien
> 
>  
> 
> P.S: I want to apologise for the lack of Josephine in this first part, but I can assure you she will appear in the second part. Until then I leave you with more of Zevran, and then with new appearances from Justinia and Cassandra. I hope you will like them, because I actually had so much fun writing them.
> 
> P.P.S: The story is intended for mature readers, so this part has mild violence - being DA and all. It may not be much, but I felt like issuing a warning just in case.

Chapter VI - Nightingale's Eyes

 

 

“Nice of you to finally show up, Zevran. What, Val Royeaux is too big for you?” Leliana asked slightly annoyed while pushing herself off a wall and emerging from the shadows.

“I apologise, Leliana. I was detained.” The elf replied out of breath while leaning with his hands on his knees.

“I am glad to see that you were at least entertaining yourself while I was here… waiting for you…” The bard did not spare her friend at all, sarcasm dripping heavily from her voice.

“I am truly sorry, my dear Leliana. I did not think that it would take _that_ long. But hey, I am late just ten minutes…”

“ ‘That long’? Losing your _touch_ already?”

“That’s… not what I meant.” The elf fell into a defensive stance.

“Mhmm,” Leliana let out a sigh. “I had different expectations from a lothario like you...”

“Leliana,” Zevran warned “I can assure you that nothing has changed in that department, but can we get back to business now?” he asked in a pleading tone.

“If you are so sensitive about it… Fine.”

“Thank you. How are things looking?”

“I had time to assess the situation – thanks to you being “detained” – and, to be honest, I expected more of a resistance. If you are not opposed, I might have a plan.”

“I am all ears.”

“Well, as you are already aware, there are two entrances to the estate, one in the south part and one in the northern one. The south one is the main entrance, following a straight road to the villa. The northern one is after the back gardens. Both of them are heavily secured.”

“Hmm, it might be tough, but I guess we can sneak in.”

“I agree on the sneaking part. As for which entrance to use, we are in a bit of luck. You see, the estates in Val Royeaux were built to show the wealth of the owner, but giving the fact that the Orlesian national sport is the Grand Game, emergency exit points were built by some of the most skilled players of the game. Giving that a such opening exists here, it is a safe guess to say that the estate belonged to someone powerful – maybe still does.”

“And you know this… how?”

“I used to live in one for a major part of my life. It was… Marjolaine’s. Without that knowledge I would have missed it as well.”

“Then I am glad you had such a skilled master. What about security once inside? How is that?”

“Bad… for us.” Leliana let out a sigh, trying to also banish some old memories from before the Blight.

“How many?”

“Too many, Zev. I am not sure what are they here for, but I could count at least nine Crows, and that is only outside the villa.”

Despite the dire situation, Zevran could not help his smile. He elbowed Leliana to pull her spirit up before adding. “The two of us against them will be easy. Trust me, these are raw recruits, so it is not different from fighting brainless darkspawns, the only exception being the lack of taint. You just get us inside and I will handle the rest of it myself.”

“And miss all the fun?” The bard gave Zevran an incredulous look. “I do not think so. We will do it together.”

“Right now… Or after the mission?” the elf added with a smug smirk.

“Ugh… The only thing I will be doing after the mission is kick your ass back to Antiva.”

“If you follow, I am not opposed to that. I like to live dangerously, dear woman.” Zevran said with a wink.

“I am going to show you real danger if you do not stop. We have a mission to focus on.”

“You are right, just lead the way.”

Hoping that the assassin came to his senses, Leliana started moving in the shadows towards the secret entrance. Having a sense that something was amiss and feeling a set of eyes on her, Leliana became slightly annoyed.

“Stop staring at my back, Zevran…”

“I was just admiring the view… of.the.estate. Not doing anything wrong there.”

“For an assassin, you are pretty bad at lying.”

“Okay, I admit I was staring, but it is not my fault that is a really nice back…”

“Ugh, it is going to be a long night.” Leliana added quietly while shaking her head.

 

***

 

“How would that even work, Zevran?”

“Isn’t it obvious? They would be too distracted by your bosom – not to mention the rest of your naked body – to even pay attention to me sneaking up behind them.”

The elf kept talking and Leliana weighted if she should interrupt him or let him rant. She decided to let him finish, for old time’s sake.

“And after I would start taking care of my half, you would pull out your bow and shoot the remaining ones.”

After letting out a sigh, the bard decided to break the elf’s dreams. “And how do you plan on me drawing out my bow if I am to walk _naked,_ thus _completely unarmed_ in the middle of them?”

“Braska! If only there could be a way for you to hold on to your weapons…” Zevran frowned as he contemplated on how to improve his plan.

“There is,” Leliana started, “I can wear my weapons… attached to the armour I am wearing. See, just like this!” Leliana’s tone turned serious now, much to the Antivan’s displeasure. “Come on, Zevran, we need a proper plan.”

“But what was wrong with _my plan_?”

The bard could not believe that the elf actually sounded hurt and disappointed. “I am not even going to try and answer that question.” A pause. “Look how this is going to be… We can split out and take the patrolling guards on the main road first. After that you can sneak up on the ones guarding the mansion entrance while I provide you with help from afar. How does that sound?”

“I still think my plan could have worked…”

“Spending all that time as the king’s advisor influenced you, Zevran. You are now starting to sound like Alistair.”

“Hey, that is now fair! I just wanted to have a distraction for the guards so that my job would be easier.”

 “Leave that to me…”

A knowing and playful smile appeared on Leliana’s face before speaking, one that made Zevran narrow his eyes at the bard. “I know that look… Are you going to do something crazy again, Leliana?”

“Maybe…”

Zevran returned Leliana’s smile, excitement written all over his face. “Good, I like that Leliana!”

“Okay, let’s get into position.”

The two assassins did just that. They positioned in the shadows on different sides of the road and waited for the patrolling guards to make their rounds. Zevran was the first one to get into a good position, but he waited for the bard to give her signal before they both knocked out their targets and then tied them up, ensuring not to be bothered again. Just like Zevran promised, it seemed fairly easy for the bard to go against the Crows, but she took a mental note not to underestimate her opponents. Nothing good would come out of that.

Then they moved on to the next phase of the plan and regrouped in front of the mansion, still under the cover of the trees. Zevran watched the five Crows guarding the entrance with high interest, trying to come up with a plan but failing.

“Ok, so now would be the time to provide that distraction that you were talking about, Leliana.”

“Just wait here for a minute then.”

Before the Antivan could reply to that, the redhead already disappeared, leaving the assassin alone and confused. Zevran did not have to wait long as Leliana returned in less than a minute, but it was nothing the elf could have expected. The redhead was carrying a small, hairless creature in her hands, one that Zevran saw too many times to forgot what it was.

“Is that… Is that the nug the warden gave you?” He said while shaking his head.

“Yes, Zevran, this is Schmooples. I am sure you remember him because he definitely remembers you.” The bard said while trying to keep the nug in her arms while it went on and tried to snuffle the elf.

The cute way the nug was trying to reconnect with Zevran made the elf smile as he approached her friend and started petting the hairless creature.

“And how do you expect this to work, Leliana? Do you think that you can just point Schmooples on their way and all the guards will take turns playing with this cutie?”

“It seems to be working with you,” the bard let out a chuckle. “Plus, I trained him.”

The elf took a step back and shot his friend and incredulous look. “You… _trained_ him?”

“Yes, you have no idea how helpful he can be _if_ you know how to use him. And if this works out, I might start breeding and training them.”

Rendered speechless, Zevran did not know what could he say, so he concentrating on getting back to the mission. “Ahm, alright, let’s see what Schmooples can do then…”

With a smile, the bard whispered something into Schmooples’ big ears and then lowered him to the ground. As soon as he was free from his master’s hands, he started running straight towards the entrance, hopping up and down into the tall grass. The sound of his movements alerted two of the guards who panicked when they did not see anyone approach and one of them started shouting. “Who’s there?”

Before the panicked guard could raise the alarm, a third one came next to them letting out a laugh. “Calm down, Enzo. It’s just a nug.”

Soon enough the fourth guard joined them, bursting in a fit of laughs. “Haha, you were so scared that you almost wet your pants. Some assassin you are, Enzo. You sure you are up for this job?”

“Hey, give the man a break,” said the other guard that was also taken by surprise.

“You’re the one to talk, right? You both looked like scared little girls.”

As they all started bickering, both Zevran and Leliana saw their opening. With a nod towards the Antivan, Leliana draw an arrow as the elf approached the group of assassins. She waited until the Antivan was in place before she aimed for one of the guards and let her arrow loose.

The bickering Crows did not have the time to realise what was happening as two more arrows flew in from afar and hit their marks. The remaining assassins tried to scramble back to their feet and run, but they were met with Zevran who gave them a quick end.

After looking around to make sure that no one else was around, the elf turned to her friend who was now hugging and petting the nug.

“I cannot believe that worked.” The elf expressed how surprised he was that the plan succeeded.

Leliana ignored him and kept talking to the nug. “He did not think we could do it, mister Schmooples, he did not think we could… But we showed him how good you can be. You distracted the big bad guys and helped us get inside.”

“Hm, hm… Speaking of which.” The elf said after he cleared his throat, thing that seemed to pull Leliana back to reality.

“Oh, right, the mission. Go back Schmooples, come on, mommy has work to do.”

“Aaaaand, now I see what Alistair saw in you when he said you were ‘Princess Stabbity’.” The elf said looking down at his friend, a smug smirk plastered on his face.

“Mock me as much as you like, Zevran, but you know that I _always_ get the job done, one way or another. It is why you wanted my help on this mission.”

At that, the Antivan could only shrug. “Alright, guilty as charged. Now, shall we, _your majesty?_ ”

With a roll of her eyes from the bard and another laugh from the former Crow they both entered the mansion stealthily. Once inside they were greeted with a very luxurious antechamber with two flights of stairs in the middle that were leading to the upper levels. Both to their right and their left they saw doors that would lead to different areas of the mansion, and the assassin was torn which way they should go.

"Okay, I think we should split. I can investigate the ground level while you go and see what you can find upstairs.”

“There’s no need, Zevran. This interior looks extremely familiar to me, and I can bet that I know where whoever is in change is staying. Plus, we do not have much time until someone will see the mess we made outside.”

“Then, dear woman, lead the way.”

Leliana did as requested and silently walked Zevran to the first and then the second level. From there they went through a series of rooms, all the time staying close to the shadows and avoiding being seen by the other Crows. When they finally entered a big round room that was spread on both the first and the second level, they stopped near the marble railing. The room they were in looked like the perfect place to hold a ball, a soiree or any kind of party where the guests had to dance. It was not where Leliana was planning on taking them, but what was happening underneath them changed that.

At the level below them stood a couple of Crows guarding the entrance and somewhere in the far east there was an improvised pavilion to try and bring at least a small amount of privacy. From where they were currently standing, they could only see two silhouettes invested into what seemed like a very important conversation that both assassins could faintly hear. With an exchange of looks between them they slowly started moving towards their right to try and associate faces to the voices they were hearing.

One of them was a thick Orlesian feminine accent, taking into a low voice, while the other one was unmistakeable a male Antivan voice, close to Zevran's but not as melodious as his. Ever since hearing the voice Zevran had his suspicions about who the man was, but being able to see the armour he was hearing, his medium black hair and his full beard running down the sides of his jawline, there was no question about it. As soon as he was certain, angered flashed in his eyes and he clenched his jaw so tightly that Leliana was able to hear the noise it created.

The bard tried to get her friend’s attention, but Zevran was too focused on the tall Crow engaged in what seemed like a negotiation and did not hear her. Only when the redhead placed one of her hands on his shoulder and wrapped the other on top of his right hand that was currently knuckle-white holding a dagger, Zevran was pulled back to reality.

“Zevran, what happened? Talk to me.” The bard spoke into a calming voice, trying her best to hold back the concern she was feeling but failing.

The elf took a long and deep breath in order to calm himself. He knew that rash decisions based on anger would not help against a man like that and he could not risk Leliana’s safety. “I- I know that man.” He finally spoke and Leliana could see a frown appearing on his smooth face. “His name is Claudio Valisti and we go a while back. Do you remember the first time we met with Isabela in Denerim?” Leliana simply nodded and the elf let out a sigh. “Well, then you might remember that I was the one to ‘free’ her from her marriage. A contract appeared on Luis’ life and someone had to take it. I offered to do the job at the lowest bid possible, with no gain on my part because I was fully aware that he was trying to get rid of her.”

“How do you know he wanted to do that?” the redhead asked even if she felt like she already knew the answer.

“Because I was a big part in ‘taking his wife away from him’ – or that’s how he lied to himself. Look, Luis was not the best husband, not offering Isabela the attention she needed, the attention that I could offer her. Of course he found out about our involvement and felt like Isabela was not worth the trouble. I just could not stand idle and let her deal alone with it, not while Isabela was more than someone to have in my bed every now and then. I taught her everything I knew about combat and I never regretted it.”

“Why do I have a feeling that whatever your problem with Claudio is, Isabela is not the main reason?”

“Because she isn’t. Unbeknown to me, Claudio was Luis’ business partner and he did not take too well the sudden end of his most prolific business. In 9:28, trying to raise his House to a higher talon rank by putting forward an heir to the empty throne and to avenge his friend, he struck a deal with Eoman Arainai, then head of House Arainai, to eliminate the royal bastard of Prince Estefan that a rival group known as Rosso Noche wanted to present as an heir. Still holding the grudge on me for the contract I took, he manipulated me and Taliesen into doing the killing for him. T-the person we had to assassinate was… Rinna. He manipulated _me_ into killing the person that I came to love the most by planting false evidence against her, which sparked Taliesen’s suspicions of her loyalty and he then somehow managed to turn me against her as well.”

Tears were starting to appear into the assassins’ eyes, a display of weakness Leliana did not see before.

“It’s alright, Zevran. We’re going to make him pay for what he did to her.”

“It was not only _her_ death, Leliana. Even if Taliesen was still alive and we could have continued what we had, that night I lost both my lovers and… myself. I was devastated by what I had to do and the only thing that I wanted was to die. That is why I took Loghain’s contract. I just wished to die…”

“But you did not! And look at you now. Not only you helped defeating the Archdemon and put an end to the Blight, but you are surrounded by friends and you are doing good things now. You turned your life around and I am sure that you will find love again.”

The elf let a chuckle at that. “Always the optimist, right?”

“Well, we are taking turns filling that role. Now, let’s see what plans this Claudio Valisti has and make sure they do not come to pass. What do you say?”

Zevran nodded at that and turned his attention back to the lower floor where they still could not see who the other person was. The only thing that they were able to distinguish was a dark silhouette of a woman, most probably dressed as a grand cleric. From what they could hear she was hiring him to assassinate the Divine at the Chantry celebration of “All Soul’s Day”.

“But that is in two days!” Leliana said a bit too loud and alerted the guards below.

Without wasting any second, Zevran pulled the redhead by the hand and retreated the way they came. Luckily for them the guard who climbed the stairs to investigate the noise did not find anything suspicious, but that did not mean that they were in the clear. The Antivan could see clearly the frustration written on the bard’s face which mimicked what he was feeling, but he was aware that no matter how much he wanted to revenge Rinna’s death, now was not the time, nor the place.

As soon as they were out of the mansion and back into the streets of Val Royeaux, Leliana let her frustration show. “Dammit, Zevran! We could have assassinated him, and it would have ended this before it even started.”

“No, Leliana, you are not thinking clearly. Yes, we could have assassinated him, but there is no guarantee that there would not have been anyone else to carry out the contract. As much as I would have liked to put an end to that bastard, the only certain outcome of that besides his demise would have been our own.”

Hearing the truth from the elf’s words the bard let out a sigh as her shoulders sunk in defeat. “You’re right. So, what now?”

“Well, the only thing that we know for sure is when it will happen. We have no idea how many Crows Claudio brought with him or how much influence he has in the Grand Cathedral. I think you should go talk to the Divine and see what grand cleric would be so desperate to try a public assassination and then you should meet me at my safe house where we could try and plan for a defence. In the meantime, I can meet with some of my contacts from Antiva and hope to find anything about House Valisti. We need to at least know who are we dealing with.”

“That… sounds like a good plan. I cannot thank you enough for risking your life to help me, Zevran.”

“Are you kidding, Leli? It’s fun working with you again, even better than before now that it is just the two of us. I-I never had a partner like you to work side by side with,” the former Crow let out a smirk. “Plus, every day I prove to be a thorn into the Crow’s side is a good day.”

“Thank you, Zevran. There’s no one else I would want by my side in this. Just, be careful, alright?” Leliana said, concerned showing on her face.

“Worried about me, dear lady? To think that once I meant close to nothing to you. How did you put it… ‘should every man in Ferelden suddenly die…’ “

“Yes, yes, I get it, but much has changed since, hasn’t it? We… went through a lot together.”

“Even so, it is very kind of you to be concerned for my wellbeing.”

“ _‘Let it never be said that I’m not here to help when the call comes’_ “ Leliana quoted the former Crow a few years back.

“Hmmm, using my own words against me? Well played, dear woman. Well played…”

 

***

Back at the Grand Cathedral apartments, Leliana called a meeting between the Divine and Cassandra and informed both of them of what she and Zevran found out earlier that night. It was the first time the two Hands of Divine Justinia had to work together and for now it went surprisingly well. The redhead knew Cassandra Pentaghast by reputation and facts, giving the fact that it was her job as a Left Hand to search into the background of every person that came into contact with Justinia, and Cassandra was definitely the one who would spend the most time with the Divine. Cassandra was born into the Nevarran royal family, even if she ran from the dresses and took a shield and as sword in her hands. She was trained from an early age to be a Seeker of Truth and while in their service, she unmasked a conspiracy within the Chantry and saved the life of Divine Beatrix the Third and a crowd full of people from blood mages, taking out a dragon in the process. Shortly after she was given the title of “Hero of Orlais” and became the Right Hand of Divine Beatrix, the same position she took when Justinia asked her to stay by her side.

As impressive as she was on the paper, she appeared even more so in person. The way she carried herself, the tall way she walked into a room like she owned it without even trying was making everyone around her offer her the respect she deserved. It seemed to the bard that they would make a good team and so far she was not mistaken, both the Right and the Left Hand wanted the same thing, to cancel the celebration.

“Imagine for a second how would that look. What kind of a Divine would I be if I would hide and not fulfil my first duty after the coronation?” Justinia let out a sigh. She understood the risks before she accepted the job from Divine Beatrix and she would not shy away from her duty. “I, understand both of your concerns, but ‘All Soul’s Day’ is when we remember the death of Andraste and all that she sacrificed for us. I cannot just turn my back on the faithful in the most important day.”

“Most Holy, I understand all that. I speak for myself, and I think that Cassandra agrees with me, when I say that we know the importance of faith,” Leliana paused to look at the Right Hand who nodded in approval, “but you were not there when a Grand Cleric, one of our own, signed an assassination contract _on your life!_ ”

“Your Holiness, I must agree with Leliana on this. As much as people need faith, their need for a Divine who sees that the Chantry is stepping further away from what it should be, a Divine who can serve the principles on which the Chantry was founded is even greater. You must allow us to keep you safe!”

Looking at her two Hands, Justinia could not help a smile. She felt like a proud mother looking at the two young women who stood tall in front of her and defended the most holy principles and rights. She was proven in that moment that she made the right decision to recruit the two women whose morals were needed for what was to come. Even though they were both right, her Left and Right Hands were overlooking something very important, something that it was Justinia’s duty to remind them.

With a kind face and a calm voice, she turned towards the redhead. “Leliana, you know me better than everyone else. Many years ago, when people still knew me as Dorothea, I saw a girl that went through the cruellest parts of her life, a girl that was broken and lost, but still had the willpower to not give up. I believe it was the Maker who sent me your way and that the same Maker set you on this holy path. You have grown so much since then and now you have opened your soul to Him and He repaid you by choosing you to be here, just like He choose you to be there for the Hero of Ferelden and end the Blight.”

With a warm smile the Divine then turned to her Right Hand.

“Cassandra, I can see in you exactly what the Maker expects from his children. There is nothing in this world which can deter you from your faith and from His will. You know as well as I do that if we do not act now, the world will fall into chaos. You are pious and driven to seek justice and above all else follow the Maker.”

Justinia then turned to face the both of them.

“And that is exactly what I ask of you know. Follow me into this holy quest and help me restore order and faith… help me spread the teachings of Andraste that served as the foundation of the Chantry. And when better to start that than when we celebrate what the Maker’s Bride did for us all?”

Both women were silent, contemplating all that was just said. After seeing that the women were not going to speak very soon, Justinia tried one more time.

“I believe that the Maker choose both of you to be in the centre of what is yet to come, as much as I believe that He choose me to fulfil the role of the Divine. There is no one else that I think more capable that the two of you, and I trust you with my life. Now, will you stand by my side and help me guide Thedas into a new era?”

The two Hands exchanged a brief look with each other and it was all they needed to know. They both bowed before the Divine and Leliana spoke what was on both their minds.

“Of course, Most Holy. There is no greater honour that could be bestowed upon us than to see your plans and the Maker’s brought to life.”

“What would you like us to do, Your Holiness?” Leliana was surprised at how warm and tempered Cassandra’s voice sounded, a contrast between her usually powerful and imposing tone. Justinia’s words must have really affected Cassandra in a way only the Divine could, the same way that changed Leliana’s life in the past.

Justinia motioned for them to rise before answering the Seeker’s question. “I want the two of you to work together and try to figure out who is behind this. Cassandra, you were trained from a young age to discover the truth and you are familiar with the Grand Cleric’s that not only wanted the position Divine Beatrix offered me, but also the ones that were against her. And Leliana, you are one of the most skilled players of the Game. Your skill at reading people and discovering secrets will be of great help in your line of work. I believe that if the two of you work together you can come up with some answers and also a plan on how to protect all the civilians that will fill the Grand Cathedral during the celebration. We do not know for sure if they are also a target, but I want us to be ready for everything.”

“Of course, Most Holy.” Both women answered in unison.

“Now, if you will excuse me I have the evening prayer to attend before I can retreat to my quarters.”

With that Divine Justinia made her exit and the two women were left alone, an awkward silence spread between them. Leliana was the first one to break that silence.

“Seeker, I believe that we did not get the chance to speak privately before now. I… am aware of your impressive reputation amongst the leaders of the Chantry and many in the empire remember you fondly for saving the life of the previous Divine.”

“You mean to say that you… spied on me?” Cassandra said narrowing her eyes.

Seeing the Seeker’s reaction Leliana could not help a chuckle. “I would be a poor Left Hand if I would not, don’t you think?”

“I… guess you are right, Sister Nightingale.” Cassandra made a small pause to decide if she should speak what was on her mind or not. Realising that Leliana was watching her intently, most probably already figuring out her hesitation, the Seeker decided that it would be best to speak plainly. They were supposed to build up trust and get to know each other, anyway. “I have to admit that I could not help but be intrigued by you as well. Accomplished player of the Game, veteran of the Fifth Blight and the Divine’s most trusted person… well, that is something to be intimidated by.”

“You mean to tell me that _Seeker_ Pentaghast, born into the royal family of Nevarra, fearless warrior and dragon hunter is intimidated by a mere Chantry lay Sister? That is not possible.” Leliana said in a confident but playful tone.

Under normal circumstances Cassandra would roll her eyes and let out a disgusted noise when anyone would remind her of her royal ties or her dragon hunting family history, but something about Leliana and the way she said it made Cassandra let out a chuckle. “Why do I have the feeling that you already know what I feel about people who look at me and see just that, and that you are simply using it as a jest?”

“Because you are very perceptive, perhaps?”

“Then allow me to say that you are not a _mere_ lay Sister. You just want people to think that so they let their guard down around you.”

“That is right, Seeker. It works better in my advantage if people underestimate me.”

“It’s Cassandra.”

“I am sorry, what?”

“You keep calling me ‘Seeker’. I would prefer to think that we can call each other by our first names. Am I wrong?”

“No, of course not, and I would love for you to return the favour, at least while we are in trusted company, Cassandra.”

“Of course, _Leliana_.” The Seeker gave her new ally – or maybe even friend – a small smile before returning to her serious demeanour once more. “Now, shall we try and see who is so against what we want to do here?”

“Very well. Do you want to start by getting me up to speed with who had the most to lose when Justinia became Divine?”

“Ha, just about half of the Grand Clerics.”

“Okay, this will be a long night.” The bard said as she let out a sigh and started listening to Cassandra.

They spent several hours making a list with the people who openly opposed Divine Beatrix's decision to name Mother Dorothea her successor, due to her colourful past of being one of the finest players of the Game. Leliana pulled out everything she gathered on those people when Dorothea asked her to be her Left Hand and together with Cassandra they tried to rule out the Grand Clerics who would not have enough influence to plan the assassination. That still left them with four possible marks before they hit a wall.

Both women hated not knowing who they were up against and Justinia saw that after she returned from the evening prayer. But just like a motherly figure – which was something that both young women lacked – Justinia guided them to focus on the battles that they could win, assuring them that they did their best at pinning the possible assassin. The Divine then retreated to her quarters which were guarded by her two Hands, the only way into the holy chambers being through the warrior and the bard.

What came next was to study the architectural plans of the Grand Cathedral and go over the weak points that could be exploited. Even though there were enough Templars guarding the cathedral at all times, and there would be even more during the celebration, none of them wanted to take any risks with the Divine’s and the other innocent lives that would be present.

Time flew quickly and after several yawns from the Seeker, Leliana realised that it was already past midnight.

“Cassandra, I think you should go and get some rest. I can go over the plans again and come up with different escape routes.”

“No, I should stay and protect the Divine.” Cassandra said as she straightened up in order to show her fellow Hand that she could stay awake.

“It’s fine Cassandra. There is no need for two people to be here right now.”

“Then you should go and get some sleep. At the end of the day I am the Right Hand, I should be the one to protect her.”

Leliana could see the stubbornness of the Seeker, but she did not think of it was a blind one, more like one sparked from her sense of duty. It was exactly what was expect from a Right Hand, to be completely loyal and devoted to the Divine. “Cassandra, you are tired and you need your rest more than I do. I have plenty experience on burning the candle at both ends and I would _never_ let anyone harm Dorothea. She… is more than just the Divine for me, she was the one who saved my life not just once, but twice and she is my dearest friend and mentor.”

It did not escape the Seeker how Leliana referred to the Divine by the name she held before being appointed the ruler of the Sunburst Throne. To call the Divine by the previous name was usually considered blasphemy, and no one dared to do such thing. The only person who could ever address the Divine by that name had to be someone with immense power, like the ruler of Orlais, and not even them would ever dare use that name in public. But with Leliana was different. She did not use the name as a mockery or in a way to try and diminish the importance or the power the Divine held, it was quite the opposite. When the bard called the Divine ‘Dorothea’, she offered her a sense of humanization that ‘Justinia’ would never have, because ‘Justinia’ was the name that the current ruler of the Sunburst Throne took as a mantle to transform herself into the person who acted in the name of the Maker. Because Leliana knew the _real_ person behind the Sunburst Throne, she knew the kindness and the love Dorothea held for every person that walked before the Maker, calling her by her real name was raising her closer to Andraste, more than the Chantry's given name ever could. And that realisation was all that Cassandra needed to know in order to listen to her fellow Hand, even though she was not ready to let the redhead know that just yet.

“You are probably right, Leliana. But please wake me up in three or four hours before it breaks dawn so that we can swap.”

“Alright, Cassandra. Have a good night.”

“I will.” The Seeker said before going to her own private quarters.

 

***

 

Cassandra woke up in her bed as the sun shining through her fairly thick drapes hit her face. Suddenly she opened her eyes and realised that she overslept. If the sun was strong enough to get inside her quarters, that only meant she slept almost eight hours and it was almost time for the morning prayer. As the realisation dawned on her, a dreaded feeling crept in the pit of her stomach.

Leliana was meant to wake her up. Why didn’t she? Did anything happen to the bard? To Justinia? If so, why didn’t anyone alerted her of what happened? Were they all dead? There were far too many questions running through her head and she did not have time to linger on them.

For a moment she wanted to run straight to the Divine’s chambers dressed in her sleeping clothes before she decided that _if_ anything _did_ happen, it was best if she had he armour on. After hastily putting on her breastplate and strapping her sword to her side, Cassandra rushed to the place she last left Leliana. Everything around her was a blur, and she did not even see a revered mother that she almost ran down, which would have told her that everything was alright and the Divine was safe.

Instead she barged in, almost ripping the door from its hinges, only to find Justinia and Leliana talking over a cup of tea and laughing together. To say that the sight took her by surprise was an understatement. Not only did she expect something far worse, but she was pleasantly surprised to see the light hearted atmosphere between the two women, despite the dire situation they were in. She had to admit that it was a nice sight to see the two women together. If she did not know better she could swear that she was witnessing a mother and her daughter enjoying the morning together. It was a very intimate moment between the two women and the Seeker felt embarrassed for ruining it.

That was when she realised that she must have been staring at the two women for the better part of a minute or even more. Cassandra then tried to fall back into her normal confident attitude and speak but no words were coming out of her mouth. Wanting to spare her the trouble of finding her words, Justinia spoke first.

“Good morning, Cassandra. Come in, dear, and join us for some tea.”

Still not able to speak, the Seeker nodded and approached the table the two women were sharing. She noticed an empty cup on the table, most probably set up for her and wanted to reach for it, but something in Justinia’s expression made her delay that action.

“Is there something wrong, Most Holy?”

“I think _I_ should ask you that, Cassandra. Were you in a hurry this morning?” It was obvious how both the Divine and her Left Hand were trying to hide their laughs.

Speaking of the Left Hand, she was the reason why Cassandra barged in on the two of them. The Seeker gave the bard a narrowed-eyed look before turning back to the Divine to answer her question. “I guess I was, why do you ask?”

“Because it seems to me that you did not take the time to proper fasten your armour and you still have your sleep hair.”

Shocked and embarrassed on appearing like that in front of the Divine, Cassandra hurried to set herself right before Justinia put a hand on top of hers and offered her a warm and kind smile.

“Don’t worry, my dear, I am just being a tease.”

“Oh, she is good at that…” Remarked the bard who stayed silent this whole time as she took a sip from her tea, a grin plastered on her face.

Seeing the woman smile made the Seeker let out a small chuckle before she returned to the Divine once again. “Even so, Most Holy, I want to apologise for the way I presented myself. It was… inappropriate for a Right Hand.”

“If anyone should be apologising it should be me.” Cassandra heard Leliana say. “I was supposed to wake you up when you asked me to, but I guess I got too focused into my work that I lost track of time, and before I knew it the Most Holy woke up.”

Looking on the main table, Cassandra realised that Leliana spoke the truth. There were several copies with the same layout of the Grand Cathedral done in what appeared to be Leliana’s writing, each one with different weak points and detail break in ideas. Remembering their last discussion, Cassandra realised that the bard did not sleep the whole night.

“You worked on those plans the whole night? You must be exhausted, Leliana. Just go get some sleep, I can take over now.”

“You do not have to worry, Cassandra, I am fine. As a matter of fact, I wanted to go over the plans I gathered with the two of you if that is alright.”

 _‘And people think that I am stubborn’_ , the Seeker barely managed to keep the thought to herself.

 _Justinia_ on the other hand did not. “I think Cassandra is right, Leliana. You should go and get some rest.” Feeling that the bard was about to argue with her, she continued. “They want to attack during the celebration to send a message to all Thedas, so we have some time that we should take advantage of. I know you would want to be at your best, Leliana, and you cannot do that if you exhaust yourself like this.”

Leliana was reluctant to let Justinia out of her reach, but Justinia was right in both respects. Letting out a sigh, the bard conceded. “Alright, I will join the morning prayer and the catch some sleep.”

The bard then raised to her feet and wanted to leave, but just before she could do that, Cassandra stood up as well. The Seeker put her hand on the bard’s shoulder, and when the redhead turned her head she saw an uncharacteristic smile on the warrior’s face. Instantly she realised that it was meant to comfort her. “Do not worry, Leliana, I will take good care of her. I will keep my eyes open and a hand on my sword at all times. I know what Justinia means to you and I would put my life on the line if the worst comes to pass. You can be sure of that!” The Seeker promised.

Hearing those words Leliana feels a stone lifting from her chest. She returned the Seeker’s smile and offered her thanks before leaving.

From the same spot at the table Justinia watched the exchange between her two Hands. She could see the mutual trust in both of their looks and realised that in her absence the two women bonded over their common goals and aspirations.

 

***

Leliana woke up around noon, not rested enough, but she knew that she did not have time to linger. The bard quickly dressed up in her chainmail Chantry robes and had a small bite from the food that one of the revered mothers, that were high enough within the ranks and trusted by the Divine to know her identity, brought. Then she decided to speak with Cassandra about the next phase of the plan. If everything was in place, then the Seeker must have been assisting Justinia at the midday preach. Which meant that there were high chances that the person they were looking for was in between the ones attending to the Divine’s preach.

Careful not to be seen by people she did not trust, Leliana left her chambers and sneaked into the Throne room where she spotted the Most Holy in her place on the Throne, with Cassandra standing to her right as her position demanded.

Leliana realised that this would be the first time the two Hands would have to employ deceit and that just made her heart jump up and down with anticipation. It was a feeling that used to be extremely familiar to her, but one which she lost in the moment she was betrayed by Marjolaine and stopped playing the Game. But now she was right back at it, and she was playing at a higher level. Letting herself be drawn into the familiar feeling caused her a series of flashbacks that sent her swimming into the past.

 

* * *

_Suddenly Leliana found herself into a house that would be called a mansion in Ferelden, but which by the Orlesian standards would be considered a shabby accommodation. Standing by her side was a proud dalish hunter that came to mean so much to her, even more than the Orlesian woman in front of her, her former mistress and lover Marjolaine. It was the first time Leliana saw the older woman who she hoped to never see again. But the bard had a different plan, and it included threatening the life of her new companions and lover. That is why Leliana was standing in front of her, giving the woman a chance for an explanation, which was one more than she ever deserved._

_But now Leliana was standing speechless in front of Marjolaine, listening to the older woman’s insane theories about supposed plans for revenge Leliana had. She could not understand when everything changed between them so drastically. She really thought that Marjolaine loved her, but the countless scars on her body caused by the woman’s betrayal should have been enough proof against that thought. But even so, seeing the paranoid women her former lover had become rendered her speechless, unable to defend herself in front of those accusations. Luckily for her, Lyna Mahariel was the one to defend her: “Not everything is about you, Marjolaine!”_

_The older woman was intrigued to see Leliana’s new paramour jump in her defence, and she took great pleasure in trying to ruin that, trying to make everyone doubt the bard. “Oh, is that what you think? If I were you I would believe nothing she says. Not a one. She will use you. You look at her and you see a simple girl – a friend, trusting and warm. It is an act.”_

_This time is was Leliana’s time to speak, not allowing the woman to denigrate her more. “I am not you, Marjolaine. I wanted to leave Orlais for Antiva because I did not want to become you.”_

_“Oh, but you are me. You cannot escape it. No one will understand you the way I do, because we are one and the same. Do you know why you were a master manipulator, Leliana? It is because you enjoyed the game; you reveled in the power it gave you. You cannot change or deny this.”_

* * *

 

And just like that the flashback ended as sudden as it started, leaving a dreaded feeling inside the bard. When they confronted Marjolaine, Leliana was in a good place, away from Orlais and the Game and with a person that did not witness that part of her, the manipulator, a person that did not care about her past. With Lyna, Leliana was able to be who she wanted, away from a life of deceit and lies. And when they met her former bardmaster, Leliana thought that her role as a bard has ended, she thought that she will not have to ever play the Game she came to despise. But she was wrong on so many levels. Not only she returned now willingly to Orlais to help the Divine, but she realised that she did not despise the Game… She realised that Marjolaine was right, she loved the thrill it gave her and the power she held while playing it. She loved how good she was at it. Which meant that Marjolaine’s words held more truth that she would ever wish to admit. Did it also mean that Leliana _was_ like Marjolaine? That she could never escape the path that her former lover set her upon?

With a shake of her head, the redhead banished those thoughts from her mind. Now was not the time to linger on the possibility of not being able to crawl back from that dark pit. Now was the time to take the jump and hope for the best. She could not protect Justinia by being a simple lay sister. She had to be a bard and a master at that to see her mentor unharmed. Plus, Cassandra was right, she was not a mere Chantry sister.

With a new found determination she sneaked behind Cassandra’s chair and alerted the Seeker, telling her to act natural and pretend to continue praying.

The Right Hand was awestruck at how easy it was for the bard to get close to her without making a sound, even dressed in armour. “Maker preserve me, Leliana! How did you manage to sneak up on me? Actually you do not need to answer that, I can see why Most Holy chose you as her Left Hand.” Cassandra said, her head still bowed as the prayer asked of her. “Now, what was so important to tell me that it could not wait?”

“I have to go and meet with Zevran to see if he has any information on the Crows. I also have a feeling that whoever wants the Most Holy dead is already here. Can you be my eyes and ears while I am gone? Focus especially on the four Grand Clerics that we think have the best motives, but do not neglect anyone else.”

“I understand Leliana. Take care, alright?”

“There is one more thing. I-I need to know her safe, Cassandra. The only way that I could concentrate on figuring how to approach this is if I know her safe. And… there is no one else I would trust with her safety.”

Cassandra felt a warmth in her chest hearing the bard. Leliana trusted her completely and she was not going to disappoint the bard. “I appreciate that, and like I said before, I will protect the Divine with my own life, that I can promise you.”

 On the way to the elf’s safe house Leliana could only think at how crucial it was for her to succeed. It was clear that whoever was behind all this wanted the Chantry to be thrown in chaos so that they could be there to ‘ensure the peace’. If they had a plan on how to deal with the consequences of a dethronement that would ensure their position on the Sunburst Throne. But she had no idea who could even attempt something like that, or how to prevent it. She just hoped that the work she did on the plans the previous night were enough, and for that she needed the opinion of a former Crow.

Luckily for her, the said Crow was at his safe house, going over a letter he received from one of the sources he contacted. “Ah, Leliana, perfect timing.”

“Please tell me you have some good news for me, Zevran.”

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Replied the elf with a small smile on his face.

“What did you find out?”

“It seems that I have a friend in the House Valisti that was able to provide me with some information.” Leliana raised an eyebrow at that and the elf hurried to rectify that. “Actually, he was a friend of Rinna’s and let’s say that he wasn’t very happy to learn what Prince Claudio did.”

“And what did this friend of yours tell you?”

“He provided me with a list of the assassins that were sent in Val Royeaux with Claudio. Giving the fact that we thinned their numbers by five, they have only eleven left, excluding Claudio. Something tells me that he will not get his hands dirty, thus he will be simply supervising his operation.”

“Hm, eleven…” the bard pondered the possibilities in her head. “That’s… not as bad as I was expecting. Are you sure the information is legitimate?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” the elf asked, brows frowning.

“Because it seems way too easy, and you know as well as I do that nothing is easy when it comes to the Antivan Crows.”

“Normally, I would agree with you, Leliana, but you have to realise that they have no clue that we know, and on top of that, the Divine was not seen with her Left Hand, which in their eyes means that she did not choose one yet. The only opposition they are expecting is formed by the Templars and the Right Hand, most probably.”

“That’s it… That’s my strong point! They do not know of me! No one else from the Chantry besides a couple of revered mothers that came with Justinia from Valence, and Cassandra know about me. Well, there would be Josie and you, but I can trust both of you.” Leliana made a mental note to speak with Josephine about it all at the first chance she got.

“See, you do not have to worry so much, Leliana.”

“I cannot let my guard down, Zevran. There is still one thing that might go wrong.”

“Which is…?” the elf asked curiously.

“We killed those five men, Zevran. If Claudio is as smart as you say he is, he already knows that something is wrong.”

“I would not worry about that. I sent him a message, courtesy of ‘Black Shadow’.”

“But that does not mean that he cannot suspect that you found out his plans. Which means that he could be bringing more Crows with him.”

“In one day? You know that is impossible, Leliana. But, alright, let’s say that he does have more than eleven people with him. How do you plan on proceeding then?”

“Can you take a look over this plans? I tried to mark all the weak spots and plan ahead for any possibility.”

“Alright, let’s see that you’ve got.”

Both assassins ended up staying late while planning different strategies. They both decided that in order to keep the slight advantage that they had, which was Leliana herself, Zevran would act as her eyes and ears on the outside of the Throne room, while Cassandra will be by the Divine’s side at all times. Leliana would do what she does best, stay hidden in the shadows and manage things from there.

_I just hope that Dorothea was right and the Maker did send me on this path, otherwise I fear what might happen to the world…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first part, and like I mentioned before, the next chapter was intended to be a part of this one.  
> Keep in mind that I actually rushed to get it out and I wrote more than half of the whole thing in one night, with no time to check for misspells. 
> 
> Please let me think what you thought of it in the comments and if you liked the characters and the dynamics between them. It would help a lot.
> 
> Annien


	7. Nightingale's Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is slightly more graphic than the previous one, so please read further only if you are certain that you understand that. 
> 
> Again, this is intended for mature readers, so there will be description of sex... And considering the pairing, it might not be for everyone. But if you got until this point I think is fair to assume that you are safe to read further as it is not very different from the previous chapters.
> 
> Please let me know in the comments what you thought of the whole chapter, and what you think might happen in the future.
> 
> Annien

Chapter VII - Nightingale's Flight

 

 

When Leliana returned to the Grand Cathedral apartments, she was not alone. While nobody actually _saw_ Zevran there they were not doing anything wrong. When they reached the antechamber that lead to the Divine’s quarters, none of them were surprised to see that neither Cassandra, nor Justinia were asleep. As soon as the redhead stepped into the quarters Cassandra stood up, relieved to see the Left Hand returned safely.

“I am glad that you are alright, Leliana. When you did not return earlier I thought maybe…” Cassandra’s thoughts trailed away until the Antivan interrupted them.

“Do not worry, Seeker, I kept her safe.”

“You must be the Antivan assassin Leliana mentioned.” The woman regarded that elf with no small amount of distrust, considering his background and how him and Leliana met.

Studying the Right Hand’s reaction, Zevran could guess what Leliana “mentioned” to the Seeker. “So quick to judge a person, Seeker. I thought you were trained to follow the Andrastian principles, was I wrong?”

“And what do you know about the principles you mentioned, _assassin_?”

“Now, now, Cassandra. There’s no need for such hostility,” the Divine finally rose from her place and joined the other three in the middle of the room. “Zevran’s past is not something to be condemned so harshly. And if you well remember, Leliana used to be an assassin as well.”

“Yes, but Leliana did not sign off other people’s lives…” Cassandra defended her.

“It might not have been me personally, but Marjolaine did not shy away from sending me to assassin someone if it suited her. And maybe I did not do it as often as Zevran, but unlike him I was not forced into the life of an assassin. I chose to be a bard.” Leliana faced the ground in shame of her past.

“I know that, Leliana, but now you are a Chantry sister, you are the Left Hand of the Divine.”

“Ah, is that the problem Cassandra? You think Zevran is not faithful?”

“Should I think otherwise?”

“You should because Zevran is Andrastian. And even if he would not, we should not judge people for their lack of faith, nor their choice to believe in something different than what we believe in.” And then Justinia did something that caught Cassandra by surprise as she recited a part from what once was the Chant of Light. _“Andraste said to Shartan:/ "Truly, the Maker has called you, just as He called me, /To be a Light for your People. […] And Shartan looked upon the Prophet Andraste / And said: "The People will set ourselves free./ Your host from the South may march/ Alongside us. “_

Before the Divine could continue, Leliana bowed her head and spoke what came next. _“The giants of the South rose to their feet as one/ And bowed. And Andraste said: "It is done. We march as one."_   Canticle of Shartan…”

Cassandra could only watch in shock both Justinia and Leliana, before she found her voice to speak. “But that is the Dissonant Verse, removed from the official Chant when Divine Renata ordered the Exalted March on the Dales.”

“Yes, that is true, but why should we exclude the elves? Or the dwarves, even Qunari? Are they not worthy of the Maker’s love, of our love? Aren’t they His children as well? I believe that the Chantry allowed for too long our differences to tear us apart instead of teaching us how we are the same…” At once the bard realised that maybe she said too much out loud.

“What are you suggesting, Leliana?” Cassandra asked with high interest.

“Nothing I-… All I meant is that we should not jump so fast at judging others.”

With a defeated sigh, Cassandra turned to Zevran and then to the Divine. “I apologise, I was out of line. My trainers always said, “Cassandra, you are too brash. You must think before you act.” I guess I never left that part of me behind. But I never meant to insult you, Zevran, nor to contest your teachings, Most Holy.”

“Ah, do not be so harsh on yourself, you must be going through a lot. Plus, you were no so far off. I went to a Chantry as a child, but that does not make me the most faithful person in here. And, I have my fair share of wrongdoings and things that I regret.”

“Nothing that cannot be forgiven, Zevran Arainai.” The Divine interjected.

“Thank you, Your Perfection. It means a lot.”

Justinia then turned to her Left Hand and tried to change the atmosphere, hoping that it will stop Cassandra from blaming herself. “Leliana, did you find anything knew?”

“Actually I did, Most Holy. Zevran used one of his former contacts to find out that the Crows are employing twelve of their men for this assignment. Because one our little scouting mission I am afraid that they might be aware that some of their plans were leaked, so they might bring some reinforcement. Fortunately, Zevran and I came out with a plan that both you and Cassandra should know about. I also think that it might be a good idea to speak with the Knight-Commander which will oversee the Templars and inform him of what might happen. After that I think we should all get some shut eye.”

“Very well, let’s see what you’ve got.”

 

 

***

 

It was not long after midnight when Leliana finished talking with the Knight-Commander who ensured her that he has his best people protecting the Divine at all times. Even so, it was not enough to calm her nerves, the bard remembering how unorganised the Ferelden Templars were during the Blight. Thus, she could not sleep, not with so much at stake. She tried turning to prayer, thing that always used to calm her down, but that did not help either. She then asked herself what Lyna used to do when she was feeling restless and she remembered how the elf used to get out of their tent and walk around the camp. While Leliana did not have an empty camp to pace around, the Grand Cathedral did have some nice gardens that were able to provide some privacy. She could even watch the sky filled with stars above her and let her mind wonder.

“You are thinking about her, aren’t you?” a calm and soothing voice came from next to her and Leliana would recognise the voice anywhere.

Frowning she stood up and faced the Divine. “Most Holy, why-?”

“Drop the formalities, Leliana, it’s just the two of us.”

“As you wish.” The bard said with a full smile on her face. It felt good to be just the two of them again, Dorothea and Leliana. It almost made all her worries disappear. “Why are you being so stubborn and not stay inside where you are protected, then?”

“Oh, come on Leliana, you know very well that I am not some precious artefact that might break. Do I need to remind you that I sneaked into Raleigh’s estate? I can take care of myself, Leliana.”

“I-I know, Dorothea, but now it is different. Now you have me to protect you and if I fail…”

“You won’t fail.”

“How do you know that?” Leliana frowned, desperately trying to keep the tears that were welling behind her eyes from falling.

“Because I know what you are capable of, and because I have faith.” The Divine felt the redhead’s weakness and pulled her close into an embrace.

“Is _my faith_ enough?” the bard asked before she could think better of it.

“What makes you say that?” Dorothea asked as she kept stroking Leliana’s hair.

“Before, I… When I sneaked inside the Throne room to speak with Cassandra I, I had a flashback to the last conversation I had with Marjolaine and I realised that… that she was right about me all along.”

“Is that the same conversation when she tried to convince everyone that you would betray them?”

“Y-yes.” Leliana stuttered.

“But you didn’t, Leliana. She was wrong, you are not like her.”

“What if I am though?” the bard asked while pulling away from the embrace. “She _made_ me who I am I today. She made me love the Game and the thrill that it brings.”

“Leliana, you are not the only person that played the Game. I played it longer than you even lived. I had a past before all this, a worldly life. Just because I was not given to the Chantry as a child, does that mean that I do not belong on the Sunburst Throne, does that mean that the Maker does not think I am worthy of His love? We all do what we must, but _no one_ can tell you who you are, other than yourself.”

“But I wouldn’t even have this chance if you wouldn’t have saved me.”

“Ah, Leliana! How many times we had this talk? I did not save you. I just showed you it was possible.” Justinia let out a scowl that was almost identical with Cassandra’s.

The bard could only laugh wholeheartedly at the resemblance. It was nice to see that some things did not change even in the worst of times.

“You find that amusing?” The Divine teased.

“I… missed this, Dorothea, and I did not even realise how much until now. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me, child. Now come on, you should get some rest.”

Leliana followed Justinia back to the apartments, her soul lightened considerably. Something told her that she would finally be able to sleep.

 

***

 

The next morning at the celebration, they followed the plan, Leliana being the shadow behind the Sunburst Throne, while Cassandra was the chief agent that was carrying out the Divine’s will, at least in front of all the people. In reality, she was also carrying the will of the Left Hand this time.

And Zevran, well, he was an elf in Val Royeaux, the most invisible position one could hold in the empire. While it was uncommon for one of the People to be seen inside a Chantry, he was more than happy to record everything that was happening outside of it and then report to Leliana.

With those two in their places and the Templars all around the cathedral, the Knight-Commander gave the okay to Cassandra, who signalled the start of the festivities.

As soon as Divine Justinia made her appearance into the Throne room, Leliana’s blood was set on fire and she could actually feel the pressure building into her jaw, the nerves almost getting the better of her. She was alert, watching the massive room filled with people for any sign of movement until Justinia reached the Sunburst Throne. No one flinched, and after all the people cheered for their Divine, the bard could leave out the breath she was previously holding which made her lungs burn.

She did not have too much time to relax though, as Justinia started her speech. It was the perfect time for the bard to see if anyone did not agree with what she was about to announce. Her eyes carefully took in every Grand Cleric present at the celebration, and lingered for a few more seconds on the ones that she and Cassandra suspected that might be involved. For a brief moment the Left Hand thought that she saw one of the Grand Clerics cringe when the Divine mentioned that the Chantry should treat all her followers equally, but after a brief moment it vanished. It might have been her imagination or maybe that person was trained to hide her emotions, either way, the bard made a mental note to keep an eye on her.

After completing the speech, the Divine started meeting with some of the people, which meant that it was time for Leliana to move to a better spot behind the pavilion that was showing the Prophet Andraste, which was positioned right behind the Sunburst Throne. The new position would impede the bard’s vision, but it would allow her to listen to Justinia’s conversations. But Leliana was not the only person that was listening for anything out of the ordinary. Cassandra had training to find the truth even in the most hidden places, so she could tell when people were lying, and Justinia was a skilled player of the Game. Not as skilled as Leliana or Marjolaine, but one should definitely not let its guard down around her.

After less than a half of hour of talks, Zevran returned to Leliana for the second report, using a tunnel that connected the area where Leliana was to the outside of the cathedral. The bard was surprised to see him there, giving that he was not supposed to return that early. Unless something was wrong. The bard let out a breath to prepare herself and when Zevran got next to her, Leliana was completely gone and she was replaced by Sister Nightingale. If the elf wouldn’t have known better that she was a friend, he would have been intimidated by the posture and the air she was emanating.

“What’s wrong, Zevran?” the Nightingale asked, her tone kept low and threatening. Even though she knew who it was aimed at, the elf could not know.

“I saw movements into the main group of people, the closest one to the entrance. At least six individuals, all speaking in Antivan approached the main entrance. They were all dressed in clerical outfits, but I do not know anything about the rest of them. They might already be inside.”

That is exactly what the bard was scared of, that she could not tell the difference between who was friend and who was foe. Zevran continued to tell her what else he found but Leliana zoned him out, her attention falling on something else, a certain voice. When she realised that she recognised the voice, the bard used her hands to shut the elf up and made him focus on the discussion between the two women.

“So nice seeing you here, Victoire. It has been too long since the last time, my friend.” Leliana could hear Justinia say it, but she knew that Victoire was anything but her friend. Luckily for them, she was not the only one thinking that, Grand Cleric Victoire being one of the first people that Cassandra was keen on not to trust.

Looking back at Zevran, she got the confirmation she needed. Both assassins waited for the cleric to end her fake speech about how she falsely agreed with Justinia’s encouragement to promote acceptance. It was that moment that Leliana could put a face to the name and voice, realising that her perception did not fail her during the Divine’s speech. After the cleric made her exit, Leliana told Zevran to go back outside, while she approached Cassandra. As soon as she was in the reach of her fellow Hand, she told Cassandra that she found who they were looking for and that she should keep an eye out for any wrong movements the grand cleric would make.

But time passed and nothing happened. Victoire simply sat back into her place and watched as the Divine kept meeting with other people, every now and then being approached by other Grand Clerics.

The ceremony was coming to a close and Leliana’s nerves were on fire. The only thing left was for the choir to sing a part from the Chant of Light that was dedicated to the Maker’s Bride, followed by the communal prayer that would signal the end of the festivities.

When the choir started singing, it did not matter how concentrated the bard was, she could not help reciting a part that always seemed to give her strength, the Benedictions.

_“Blessed are they who stand before/ The corrupt and the wicked and do not falter”_

From that moment, everything seemed to be moving at an inhumanly slow speed for the bard. Hearing noise from behind her where the tunnel was, she turned to see Zevran running her way, saying something about more people rushing into the cathedral.

_“Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just.”_

Looking inside the Throne room she could see Cassandra rising to her feet with her sword in hand and Justinia by her side. At the edges of her vision she saw the Templars doing the same thing while a high number of people, higher than they could possibly expect rushed through the two immense wooded doors. In the next instant the whole room was thrown into chaos, the choir’s previous singing replaced by screams of terror.

Normally, she should have been terrified just like the rest of the people, but that was not Leliana. Her blood ran cold, but she kept her calm. With a motion towards Zevran she ordered the elf to make sure that the Divine and Cassandra would reach his safe house unarmed.

“What are you going to do?” the elf asked the bard as he was rushing next to Justinia’s side.

“Make them pay!” was the only response the bard offered as she checked if her daggers were strapped to her armour and then grabbed her bow.

Closing her eyes and picking up where she left off with the Chant verses, the Left Hand of the Divine appeared from behind the Sunburst Throne, an arrow already armed in her bow.

“ _Blessed are the righteous,”_ the first arrow found purchase into the neck of one of the attackers, which looked like common mercenaries.

 _“The lights in the shadow.”_ Another arrow broke free and hit a second mark.

 _“In their blood the Maker’s will is written.”_ Two more mercenaries fell to the ground letting out their last breath by the time they reached the stone floor.

Reaching into her memory and finding the verses that would bring her hope and speak the will of the Maker, Leliana fell all the foes that dared throw themselves at the Divine.

 _“Maker, my enemies are abundant.”_ She put an arrow into a mercenary that tried to sneak up on Zevran.

 _“Many are those who rise up against me.”_ Another arrow found purchase into the thigh of a boy, no older than 20 years who realised that he should not have been there in the second Cassandra slashed his chest open, putting him out of his misery and delivering him to the Maker. But looking around at the group of enemies that put themselves in between the group escorting the Divine and the exit, neither Cassandra, nor Leliana could spare a thought for the young boy that just found his demise.

 _“But my faith sustains me; I shall not fear the legion,”_ Leliana emptied her first quiver and took a hold of a second one, falling three more mercenaries in the process.

 _“Should they set themselves against me.”_ She finally turned her attention towards the last group that charged towards Justinia. For a second, the bard thought that they might actually succeed, her arrows not being able to fly fast enough to stop them from reaching their target, but then she saw her… Cassandra, the Right Hand of the former two Divines and the Hero of Orlais letting out her own battle cry and then charging at her foes with her shield raised high. Before that moment, Leliana thought that the shield was being used just for defence, but seeing the mighty warrior slam the silver shield with the Eye of the Seeker in the middle of it, into the group of foes in front of her and toppling four of them over, she started to correct that mistake.

For several seconds Leliana thought that they would actually have a clear path towards the exit, but she soon realised that something was wrong when she still heard the sound of daggers blocking swords and then piercing armour all around her. With a better look at her surrounding she understood what she missed. The eleven Crows they were expecting were all dressed as clerics and they already infiltrated their ranks and killed almost half of the Templars, while their numbers dropped only by two.

Reaching back into her quiver she realised that she had only four more arrows, which meant four more verses of the Chant.

 _“In the long hours of the night”_ , Leliana found the perfect target, an assassin that was trying to flank the Knight-Commander. Before he could even try and get close to the Templar, he fell to the ground, his hands trying desperately to close the whole in his neck. Realising that the Knight-Commander could carry his own battle she turned her attention towards Zevran on the other side of the room, the elf dancing around a former colleague.

 _“When hope has abandoned me,”_ the bard provided the Antivan with the best distraction as the second arrow stuck into the Crow’s side, allowing Zevran to end his life with a clean cut.

 _“I will see the stars and know”_ Seeing that Cassandra was in danger, Leliana fired a second arrow almost immediately, but the assassin was expecting her and dogged right on time. Sparing a second look at the Seeker she saw that she was favouring her right side as she tried to get herself back up from the floor. Looking back at the assassin, the bard noticed that he was missing one of his daggers that was now stuck into Cassandra’s side.

 _“Your Light remains.”_ The bard then inhaled one last time before she let the last arrow loose.

  

***

 

After her last arrow found purchase into a weak point in the Crow’s chest, the Left Hand found herself standing in the big hall of the Cathedral where all the people were praying undisturbed just moments ago, the only weapons available to her being her daggers. She tried her best to take in everything that was happening and to decide the best course of action. In front of her, a few steps away from the exit, were Cassandra and Divine Justinia, the Seeker currently pulling her sword from her last opponent. Even if Leliana preferred to be the one escorting Justinia, she trusted Cassandra and her skills. The bard knew that chances were some foes might be outside of the Cathedral, but she trusted that the Templars rushing to them, as well as Zevran, were ready to greet the Divine and her Right Hand as soon as they stepped outside of the building. She knew that Cassandra was injured, but the Seeker went through a lot worse in her life. Leliana could not allow herself to get distracted now, her job was not finished.

Looking around the room, the redhead saw fighting still going in between the guards and the remaining assassins. To her surprise, a now familiar silhouette was trying to find the best way to escape by trying to pose as a hurt cleric. That person was no one other than Grand Cleric Victoire. Thinking things through, Leliana realised that without Claudio’s confession, which by now was already halfway to Antiva if he was smart enough, she had no proof on the Grand Cleric’s involvement. Which meant that she could not allow her to escape. The bard’s best opportunity was to deal with the treasonous act now, while she would be able to pin the death on the Crows with a well places Antivan dagger. Leliana could not ask for an assassination job on Victoire when things settled without looking conspicuous or being traced to her – or worse, to Justinia. No, the Gland Cleric had to be dealt with here and now.

While looking for the safest path to sneak up on her without anyone realising her motives, Leliana saw something that made her reconsider everything.

What distracted her attention was a very familiar dagger scattered on the floor. A feeling of dread took over her when she realised that the dagger used to belong to her – until she gifted it to no one other than Josephine. With a quick glance at the blade, the bard saw that it was painted with blood and all that she hoped was that it did not belong to her friend. Following the blood trail left on the floor she saw an elf with a blade in his hand. The blade was pointed towards a young woman and a Grand Cleric hidden in the corner. That young woman was indeed the Antivan ambassador, while the man she was protecting with her body was most probably one of the Chantry leaders from Antiva, sent to represent his land.

Looking back at the assassin, Leliana saw that the elf was holding his right side with his hand, blood dripping from a nasty wound underneath, no doubt Josephine’s doing. Even though the ambassador was able to injure the assassin, it was not enough to be a fatal would. With her weapon discarded on the floor Josephine was helpless.

Aware that she had to choose between catching the mastermind behind all this mess and most probably avoiding any more assassination attempts, or saving her friend and the man she was protecting, Leliana picked her old dagger, sneaked behind the elf and finished him off by slicing his neck, making the Antivan cleric lose his consciousness and Josephine shield her eyes away. Without waiting for the assassin’s body to collapse and hit the ground, the redhead rushed forward and pulled Josephine into a tight hug that the other woman returned.

“Are you okay, Josephine?”

The only answer she received was a stream of sobs muffled by her own shoulder and a tighter grip around her. Wanting to comfort her friend, Leliana kept her hold on the Antivan while also looking around and trying to figure out what the next step would be.

With a glimpse towards the door she saw that the Divine and Cassandra made their way out, but unfortunately so did Grand Cleric Victoire. More Templars were blocking the exit, trying to fend off the remaining assassins.

Seeing a familiar face among the Templars, Leliana called for the Knight-Commander and told him to keep the unconscious cleric safe. Hoping that she could still catch Victoire before the woman got away for good, Leliana pulled out from the hug and took Josephine’s hand instead, heading for a secret tunnel that she knew would lead them outside.

“Do not worry, Josie. I am getting us out.” She told her friend before opening the hidden passage.

Still in a great deal of shock, Josephine could only nod and look past Leliana with a blank stare in her eyes.

Once outside, after a few moments of adjusting to the bright light, the bard easily spotted a tent where the clerics and the revered mothers were taken to safety by Templars. On a closer inspection, she saw that Victoire was one of them.

“Merde!” the bard shouted, frustration written on her face.

It did not last long though, not while seeing that Josephine was behind her, leaning on the wall and shaking from her every bone. Taking a deep breath, Leliana turned towards the Antivan, pulled her into another hug and started whispering soothing words into her ear.

Both women got lost in the shadow while holding each other for quite some time. Leliana did not realise the passage of time before she heard someone clearing his voice behind her. She alerted all her senses again, until realising that it was only Zevran. She slightly pulled away from Josephine, enough to turn towards the former Crow. She did not even bother to ask him how he found them hidden in the shadows, having other things on her mind.

“I am glad to see you unharmed, Zevran.” She gave the elf a small smile, the biggest one she could in her situation.

“I can say the same thing about you two.” Noticing how Leliana wanted to ask something, and knowing exactly what she was going to say, he spared her the trouble of having to voice her fear. “And before you ask, Cassandra is safe. She already took the Divine to the safe house. As you can imagine, Divine Justinia opposed to that idea, wanting to be close to her people, but I made sure myself that they got there and that they were not followed.”

Hearing the good news, Leliana felt like she could breathe for the first time in her life, a major stone lifting from her heart.

“I cannot find the words to thank you, Zevran.”

“You do not need to thank me, my dear Leliana. It was fun working with you once more.”

“Yes, it was…” the bard allowed a small smile. “I guess I should head to the safe house myself in case they– “

The elf did not allow her to finish what she wanted to say, pointing towards Josephine before speaking.

“Actually, you should ensure that Lady Montilyet gets home safe and that she is alright first. If it would ease your mind, I can head back and offer my protection to the Seeker and the Divine.”

With a look back at the still shaking Josephine and considering Zevran’s proposition, Leliana nodded her acceptance, despite wanting to see for herself what Zevran told her.

_‘No, he is right… Dorothea will be in good hands with the two of them there, while Josephine needs someone to look after her for a bit’_

“Thank you, Zevran, for everything. When you get there, can you please let Justinia and Cassandra know that I will join you as soon as possible?”

Zevran nodded. “I will make sure to tell them, but Leliana?”

“Yes?”

“Take your time… I mean it! You both need this.” Seeing a frown starting to spread on Leliana’s face, he added. “You will see what I mean. Now go!”

Not waiting to be told twice, Leliana took Josephine’s hand and started walking towards the Antivan’s place.

 

***

 

By the time they got to Josephine’s place, the ambassador stopped shaking and her eyes cleared out, returning to their normal mixed hazel-grey colour.

“Are you sure you are feeling better?” Leliana asked as they got past the door.

“I already told you, Leliana. I am fine. And all thanks to you. Stop worrying so much…”

“How can I stop worrying, Josie?” the redhead said while loudly hitting Josephine’s desk with her back. “I could never forgive myself if something happened to you.” The bard shielded her eyes away, unable to look her friend in the eyes.

Sensing that Leliana was retreating into herself, Josephine closed the distance between them, placed her hands on Leliana’s shoulders and forced her to meet her eyes.

“Look at me, Leliana.” When blue eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall on that beautiful face met hers, Josephine continued. “I am here, I am alive and unharmed thanks to you. You were the one who gave me that dagger all those years back hoping to save my life – which it did today. That was not enough though, and you had to finish the job for me and save my life a second time today.”

 “Yes, but…” Leliana’s voice trailed off. Seeing in her friend’s eyes the encouragement to continue, the bard found her voice again, even if it was filled with shame. “But I was so driven to protect you that I killed that man in cold blood, causing you to– to…”

Leliana could not make herself finish her sentence, but luckily she did not have to. As soon as she realised what the bard wanted to say, Josephine shook her head in disapproval.

“No, Leliana, that was not because of you. What got me into that state was the fact that I stabbed him previously. Watching my hands dig the dagger into his side was a triggering event that shook me.”

Seeing the confusion on the redhead’s face, Josephine started a brief explanation.

“Look, after I waited for you in Antiva and after Marjolaine returned to Val Royeaux without you, I… I needed something else to occupy my mind with. The Game was right there and it was exactly what I needed. I could find solace in the memories of the two of us playing it, while I could take pleasure that I thought I needed from seducing my targets.” Josephine let out a sigh for having to confess this to her friend. “I… I do not take any pride in the way I handled things back then. I was young and everything felt too _good_. That was until I had to protect Marquis DuRellion from another bard sent to kill him. I was terrified, Leliana!” A pause. “The only thing I used to do before that moment was to seduce and sleep with people in order to gather the information I needed.” The Antivan felt herself blush by the confession she made. “But to be faced with someone send to kill was something else. We found each other at the top of a steep flight of stairs. Everything happened so fast… He pulled a knife and wanted to attack me. I tried reaching for the dagger you gave me but I was too slow. Even so, with your training I managed to dodge and I pushed him away from me, the knife piercing through his flesh. And then he fell down the stairs still holding the dagger… you can imagine the result.”

“You did the only thing to protect yourself, Josie. He was the one who attacked you…”

“But it was such a _waste,_ Leliana!” Josephine almost shouted. “After I pulled out his mask I realised that I knew him. We started training at the same time and I-I… I took his life.” This time Josephine could not hold back her tears as she collapsed into her friend, her fists tightly closed and pressed against Leliana’s chest.

Taken aback by the fast development of things and knowing that Josephine needed to grieve, Leliana hugged her fiercely, afraid to let her go. After allowing Josephine to cry, she started saying soothing things into her friend’s ear, reminding her that she was there for as long as the ambassador needed.

Lost into the comfort brought by Leliana’s hold on her, the sweet melodic voice calming her and the comforting words her friend spoke, Josephine did not realise that she unclenched her fists and that her hands wrapped around Leliana’s body, where they started caressing her through the undergarment of her discarded armour.

Being oblivious to her own actions and focused on Josephine’s body heat surrounding her, Leliana’s hands started moving on Josephine’s back, reaching her braid. Only when her hand hit the band holding the ambassador’s hair together did realisation struck the bard, a mix set of emotions engulfing her.

On one hand, Leliana was aware that her line of work, as well as her life, was a very dangerous one. What she experienced earlier in the day was only the first glimpse into the future, and it already affected Josephine way too much. She came too close to losing her friend because of what she did, and the only thing that prevented a tragedy from happening was the fact that she caught the event in time. But what if the next time it would happen she would not be there? What if the next time she would have to choose between saving Justinia or saving Josephine? What if people would find out about them and they would use the ambassador to get to her? No, the Divine and her Left Hand have too many enemies.

She could not allow Josephine to be a part of her life because she could not ensure her safety. She already lost her lover – the both people she loved actually – so she could not risk losing Josephine too. Leliana was good at gambling but she could not gamble the life of the person she loved.

_‘Is this what it is… love?’_

Instead of coming up with words to form an answer, memories of her and Josephine rushed to fill in the bard’s vision. Their first meeting at Josephine’s debutant ball, the time spent together shopping in the bazaar in Val Royeaux, giving Josephine her first dagger, catching a glimpse of the Antivan’s naked back while she tried on the dress Leliana offered her, feeling the ambassador’s lips connect with her pulse point, the lustful look in Josephine’s eyes as Leliana sang that night at the soiree, waking up in the same bed in Jader wearing close to nothing, pressing her body against Josephine’s in the shadows of her returning ball, remembering the promise she made to make it up to her at the afterparty they ran to… Everything made her realise that what she was feeling was indeed love…

Coming to accept that, Zevran’s voice rang in her head, telling her that is alright to shelter those feelings. Come to think of it, the elf happened to know quite a lot, even that they would come so close in that moment, if Leliana was to remember his last words…

Realising with an uncommonly heavy heart that she could not pull apart and walk away from Josephine, Leliana banished all her insecurities from her mind. She then took hold of Josephine’s hair band and untied the braid, letting the ambassador’s hair fall on her back.

The sound that escaped Josephine’s lips, surprise mixed with a pleasurable moan, made the bard realise how much she wanted this. She wanted to thread her fingers in her friend’s hair, she wanted to tilt the ambassador’s head to the side to kiss her jawline… but it did not seem fair to the other woman, so she tried to pull away, only to be stopped by the Antivan. 

Sensing the bard's hesitation, the ambassador closed her lips around the redhead's ear for a brief moment, the next one whispering softly into the bard's ear. "Please, Leliana. I  _need_ this so much. I... I need you."

Every muscle inside the bard was telling her to give in to her desires and when she heard Josephine started to beg her, she knew that she had to pull away before she still had the slight trace of will power. But she hesitated for a second and before she knew it, Josephine told her how much she needed her and the bard gave in. Everything that she wanted to do just moments ago came back to her and this time she did not stop herself.

The ambassador was taken by surprise as she did not expect that to work, but is was all soon diminished when Leliana started kissing her. As the bard put more passion into it, she was rewarded with soft moans. Wanting to hear more, Leliana pulled the hair wrapped around her hand a bit more in order to expose Josephine’s neck better before she started kissing it.  When she allowed her teeth to graze the skin under her lips, Leliana felt her new lover’s hands stop moving on her back and the nails dig into her shoulder blades. The slight feel of pain was welcome, so she tried to respond in kind and sink her teeth into the pulsing flesh underneath her.

That caused Josephine to let out some air alongside Leliana’s name, while almost melting into the hands keeping her in place.

Hearing her name fall off Josephine’s lips in a display of pleasure sent an electric shock through Leliana’s spine and through the rest of her body. Feeling a sense of pride from coaxing her name so easily, Leliana interrupted her bite – leaving a mark where her teeth have been – and brushed her lips softly against Josephine’s ear whispering:

“I love hearing your moans, Josie. But even more than that I love hearing my name roll off your tongue like that.”

Hearing Leliana’s words made Josephine act on an impulse and without thinking twice she put all her desire into another moan of Leliana’s name, this time so close to the bard’s ear that her own lips brushed the redhead’s outer lobe.

Leliana felt another electric sensation run through her whole body, and feeling Josephine actually touch her with those lips stirred a very powerful desire in the bard. Even so, she tried to control her impulses and slowly drive the ambassador mad with desire, despite the fact that the same thing was happening to her.

“Hmm, yes… _those_ lips… Those lips that I want to feel underneath mine. Those succulent lips that I so badly want to taste…”

“Th-Then…” Josephine had to swallow her words as she felt Leliana’s teeth and tongue teasing her ear. “W-What are you waiting for, L-Leli?”

“Exactly for this.” The bard said with a smirk as her hands left Josephine’s hair and settled on the ambassador’s hips. She pulled slightly away from Josephine’s body, but the Antivan did not feel the loss for too long because Leliana dipped forward to capture those sweet and succulent lips she desperately wanted to taste. It felt better than she imagined, and she imagined pulling Josephine for a kiss for years now. Soon enough, the desires she once felt for the ambassador and then buried with time resurfaced and Leliana asked to be allowed to deepen the kiss.

As a response to her request, Josephine parted her lips and allowed Leliana’s tongue to brush against her own. Finally being able to fulfil one lost desire and taste Josephine made the redhead’s heart skip a beat. Feeling Josephine’s hands caress her body while she was tasting the Antivan made the bard feel her smallclothes get wet, which increased her desire to taste the ambassador in a different way. Giving in to her desire, Leliana tightened the grip on Josephine’s hips before moving her hands lower and lifting the Antivan in the air.

As soon as Josephine’s legs left the ground they wrapped around Leliana’s waist, allowing the bard to feel the Antivan grind into her. Desperate for more… more touches, more grinding, more taste… Leliana started walking towards the bed without breaking the kiss and settled Josephine on top of the satin sheets, her own body pressing against the Antivan.

As Leliana started to gradually undress Josephine and admire the newly exposed body, she could feel her own desire, along her lover’s, reaching new heights. Even if it was torturous, the bard settled for a slow rhythm that would allow her to memorise every curve of Josephine’s body, every freckle on her skin, every kiss that made her moan and every touch that made her muscles go stiff under Leliana’s hands.

Josephine on the other hand, had a different idea. Being driven towards the edge by the bard left her desperate for more, and she was not keen on waiting any longer. Her hands started to roam all over Leliana’s body, taking off the clothes that were getting in the way of what she wanted.

The redhead allowed Josephine to undress her, but she was unwilling to rush things further so soon. The uncertainty of what tomorrow would bring made Leliana want to get the most of the night. She did not want to merely satisfy her desire, but to show the Antivan the way she felt for her in a way that her words – no matter how skilled she was at using them – could not express what was in her heart.

Unfortunately for her, Josephine mistook her actions as teasing rather than their true intention. Seeing that there was no other way to make her lover understand, Leliana stopped her exploring, pulled away and waited for Josephine to react. Just like she expected, the Antivan’s eyes widened and her brows narrowed in confusion.

“What’s wrong, Leliana? Are you having second thoughts?”

Hearing those words hit the bard in a way she did not think it was possible. In order to offer a little reassurance before she could explain herself, Leliana gave her lover a small smile.

“Of course I did not change my mind, Josie. Trust me, I want this as much as you do. I want to feel you and make you mine more than anything right now, but I do not want to rush this. For once in my life, I want this to be right. I do not want any other people getting in the way, I do not want to look over my shoulder and fear that the world might end… I want to be just the two of us in this moment, no other worries that could ruin everything before we even start.”

Even in the dim light Josephine could see the tears that the bard was fighting to keep them from falling on her cheeks. With a smile of her own she stood up, caressing Leliana’s cheek with her hand, her thumb catching a teardrop that escaped.

“It’s all right, Leliana. There is no way that this can be ruined, but we will take things slow.”

To emphasise her point, Josephine reached up to press her lips to the bard’s in a slow kiss. Not wanting to go _that_ slow, Leliana opened her lips to deepen their kiss. Taking it as a sign that the bard wanted more, but still taking into consideration her wishes, Josephine took the opportunity to reverse their roles, pushing Leliana on the bed and pinning the redhead underneath her body.

The bard seemed surprised by Josephine’s actions, but even so, she conceded the power to the Antivan, at least for the time being. The fact that their swap offered the bard a better view of her lover’s body was an added bonus that she had to take.

“You are so beautiful, Josie…” were the only words that the bard could form while being mesmerised by the sight on top of her. Her hands drifted to Josephine’s hips, wanting to feel the Antivan, to remind herself that this was real and to hold her into place, but the other woman showed her who was in charge when she took her hands and pinned then on top of her head, leaning in for a passionate kiss.

The game they involuntarily started thrilled the Orlesian inside her and conflicted with her other feelings. On one hand, Leliana wanted to sit back and enjoy the way Josephine was making her feel, while on the other hand there was a maddening and pulling thought that told her that she had to escape from Josephine’s grip, take a hold of her lover’s hips again and with a practiced motion flip them over, trapping Josephine underneath her. Leliana did her best to supress that tugging feeling inside her, focusing on the things Josephine was doing to her.

By then, Josephine’s lips found her pulse point, teeth slightly digging in her flesh while Josephine’s free hand slipped in between their bodies, tracing circles on her abdomen, switching to her hips, but not close to where Leliana really wanted.

When Josephine trailed lower, her lips on the redhead’s breasts and her hand on her thighs, Leliana could not take it anymore, letting her previous thoughts fly free and switch their positions.

Josephine did not have the time to be surprised by the sudden movement because a soft pair of lips took hold of hers, swallowing her moans as she felt Leliana’s finger trailing through her folds. Her reaction only encouraged the bard who intensified their kiss and after a few teasing strokes, offered the ambassador what she wanted, her nimbly fingers finding her clit.

As her hand continued to offer the Antivan pleasure, Leliana made her way down Josephine’s body. But before she could get to where she wanted, a strained voice stopped her.

“Leli… come.here.” were the words the ambassador barely spoke.

“Oh, Josie, but I want to taste you so badly…” Leliana emphasised her want by teasing her lover’s entrance.

“I.want.t-together…share…”

Realising what Josephine’s intentions were, a smile lighted Leliana’s face, who was eager to fulfil her lover’s wish.

In the moment she settled in top of Josephine and when saw her prize, desire sparked in her body as she finally tasted Josephine’s thick flavour on her tongue. A first taste was not enough for the bard so she did her best to coax more, not stopping even when feeling Josephine writhe underneath her. 

Knowing that what Leliana was doing was going to undo her very soon, Josephine focused on returning the same pleasure, and soon enough the two women were coming down from their first shared orgasm of the night.

When she felt Leliana’s weight being lifted off her body, Josephine finally opened her eyes. Being aware that her breathing did not even out, but wanting to let the bard know what she felt, Josephine did an effort to find her voice.

“That was…”

“Only the beginning.” Came Leliana’s response as the bard licked her lips still coated in the ambassador’s essence.

The extremely arousing gesture, combined with the want from the bard’s voice made Josephine’s desire return in an instant and she pulled Leliana into a passionate kiss.

 

***

 

When her back hit the mattress the fourth time that night, Leliana knew that they were finally spent. Apparently she was not the only one to regret that they did not do this sooner, as both of them tried to make up for the lost time. She felt Josephine cuddle in closer and press a light kiss to her cheek, but the best the bard could do was to wrap a hand around her lover’s body and close her eyes, enjoying the way Josephine felt in her arms.

Sleep should have come easy to her, but Leliana realised that was not the case when her lover’s breath evened up, rendering the room into a total silence. Instead of a sense of calm, Leliana’s mind was thrown into a web of conflicted feelings.

Images from the past started to come into her mind, showing her how fragile everything was. Looking to her left, she saw Josephine fast asleep, a content smile on her face. Tears started forming into the bard’s eyes when she realised that while she was the reason for that, she was also the one who had to take it away. With a heavy heart, Leliana made out her mind. It was better to end things now than to put Josephine’s life in danger. And even if she knew she was about to break the Antivan’s heart, the bard at least hoped that she showed Josephine what she felt for her, even if she did not voice her feelings.

Careful as not to wake the other woman up, Leliana left the bed, dressed into her armoured Chantry robes and looked around the room for Josephine’s ink and quill. With a kiss placed on Josephine’s forehead the bard said her goodbye and got out of the door.

In the moment she closed the door behind her, Leliana collapsed on her knees and broke down in tears. She just stood there on the cold floor, not having the strength to stand up. It became harder and harder to breathe as the pain she felt emanating from her heart spread through her whole chest. Leliana allowed herself to cry, allowed herself to feel one last time, even if all she was feeling was pain, sorrow and guilt. She knew that from the moment she would stand up she would not be able to show any sign of weakness, she would not be able to let her heart feel anything because if her enemies would find out that she had someone dear to her, then those people would be in danger.

As she shed the last tear she had, the bard took a deep breath and steeled her heart. She knew what the next step would be – to build a network of spies that would be her eyes and ears and to stretch out the hold of the Divine in all the places of Thedas. Leliana knew even from where she would start. The Dales seemed like a good place, Morelle to be more exact.

 

***

 

The first thing Josephine realised when she woke up and came to her senses was that she did not feel Leliana’s body pressed to hers. While that was not something to necessarily worry about, a dreadful feeling made its way to Josephine’s heart. The ambassador knew that she had to open her eyes, but she hesitated for a couple of seconds before she managed to tell herself that she was not overreacting.

That feeling was short lived when instead of seeing the bard next to her, on the pillow was a letter. Taking it into her hands, Josephine realised that the familiar texture of the parchment belonged to her. As she started reading the first words, tears formed into the ambassador’s eyes.

 

_“My dear Josie,_

_Leaving your sweet embrace was the hardest thing I ever had to do. After wandering in the darkness for as long as I did, the light of your life has brought me happiness and to give that away broke another piece of me._

_Ever since the first time we met each other I felt like I wanted to protect you, and the only way that I can do that is to distance myself from you. I have a duty towards the Divine and the Chantry, and the things that I have to do as a Left Hand are ten times more dangerous than the Game. My job already threatened your life and your safety, and as much as it pains me to do it, I cannot keep you close without risking your life in the process._

_You deserve better, Josephine. You need someone to keep you safe, someone who can be there for you, next to you… not only in brief meetings or through letters. You deserve someone who can do all the things that I cannot, a proper lover. So, forgive and forget about me, Josie, and go be with someone who can show you how much they love you in all the ways that I cannot._

_It pains me a great deal to do it, and it is even more unbearable knowing that I am also hurting you in the process, but in order to remain sane I need to keep you safe._

“In the long hours of the night

When hope has abandoned me,

I will see the stars and know

Your _Light_ remains.”

_Please take care of yourself, Josie…_

_Yours always,_

_Leliana.”_

Josephine finished reading the letter and felt nothing, no emotion whatsoever. She was still in shock, realising that the words just flew past her. After reading the beginning again she felt like bursting into a mad laugh, like it was not real, like any moment now she would wake up from the nightmare she most probably fell in and see Leliana sleeping on her bed… But it wasn’t like that, she already woke up, the bard was gone, and the only thing she had as a proof was a letter. Not a declaration of what the bard felt, not a conversation, not a fight, not even a goodbye kiss. Leliana just… left. She left her… And that was the moment when it hit her, the pain coming in with the force of a hurricane.

Suddenly she could not breathe anymore. Her vision clouded and there was nothing around her anymore. There was no sunlight coming in through the windows and no noise letting her know that the world outside was still moving forward. The only thing that Josephine knew was the darkness covering the edges of her vision, the sound of her heart breaking in her chest and the feeling of that _damned_ letter in her hands. The letter that was her only remainder that the previous night did happen, that Leliana did care about her… But did she really?

Did Leliana care for her or was it all a Game like the one she used to play with the nobles that were head over heels after her? No, of course it was not like that, part of her knew it, but that part was not rational, that part was crying herself in a corner of her heart and the one that spoke to her was telling her that she was not enough, that Leliana did not love her, otherwise why would she leave in the middle of the night without even a goodbye?

Not able to distinguish what was real and what was only in her head, Josephine’s thoughts started swarming.

_“Was it all some kind of a game from the beginning, from that evening when she sang so beautifully and changed my life forever? Were our walks together just a way to get close to me, to make me fall in love with her, only to leave me when she got what she wanted? How could have I been so naïve? It was not a coincidence that Marjolaine sent her that letter when she was with me. What did it say in there? Get close to Josephine Montilyet and get her to the ball? And at the ball she was my target, was I hers?  Did she seduce me and in the end left me for Marjolaine? And when she promised to meet me in Antiva, did she stay in Ferelden to fuck whatever noble Marjolaine wanted her to?_

_How could I have been so stupid and think that she actually wanted me when at the first chance she got she slept with the most powerful person she got her hands on, the Hero of Ferelden? Is it all a game for her? Am I just a name on a list with every person she managed to seduce?_

_Is this how Leliana really is or is she truly the first real friend I ever had? Is she the same person who saved my life and made me fall in love with that smile she seemed to get only when around me and with that chuckle that she used to make when she blushed at compliments? Is she the same person that used to play pranks on everyone she could, or was that all an act? Were those ridiculous plans that got us into Jader and also got us to pin Isabela’s small clothes to a_ chantry board _real, or just another play in a bard’s book? Just… who is Leliana?”_ The ambassador kept asking as she cried herself to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now I feel like I finally set Leliana on her way to become the spymaster. So, what do you think will come next for our favourite bard? How is she going to cope with all that will happen in her life?


	8. Watch Over Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear reader,
> 
> I apologise for the lack of Josie in this chapter, but it is an interlude to the Inquisition, and most probably the next one will be the same. Even so, there _might_ be some Josie in the next one. But mostly it will show the events that had Leliana in the middle of them prior to the Inquisition.  
>  Please enjoy, and let me know what you think of the new character, Leliana's newest helper. I am quite fond of her, so you might see her some more in the future. Feedback is always welcome.
> 
> Until next time, take care.
> 
> Annien

Chapter VIII - Watch Over Me

 

 

 She kept her identity a secret. From the moment she took the bow and arrows during the attack at the Grand Cathedral three years ago, whoever Leliana was got buried deep inside of her and Sister Nightingale took her place.

In the past three years she managed to create a network of spies bigger than anyone could imagine, which, at its full potential could be more dangerous that the entire Ferelden Army. She managed to scatter agents all over Thedas, even in places like the Anderfels, Seheron or Tevinter, but with focus on Ferelden and Orlais. It was an impressive network that was taking a lot a time to maintain. Luckily she found certain people whom she could trust.

One of those people was currently on her way of bringing the Left Hand an update on what seemed to be the most precarious of the crisis she was dealing with. This agent that worked closely with the Left Hand was a famous elven spy, a master of false identities with over a dozen of aliases. Before working under the Nightingale she was most commonly known as The Black Hart, but now she took another name, Charter.

When Charter opened the door to Leliana’s office she saw the bard closely studying various reports from all over the place. In the middle of the room was a huge table with the map of Thedas spread on it. On the map there were several figures detailing the position of her agents and tens of pins that were all connected with pieces of string to over a dozen reports, and that was only for Ferelden and Orlais.

“You’re early,” the bard said coldly when she saw who entered through the doors.

“Good to see you too, Sister Nightingale. I just thought that you would want to see me as early as possible, considering the information I bring with me,” the elf said with a very well placed look at her master.

Leliana did not miss the bluntness of her agent, and maybe coming from anyone else it would have had unspeakable consequences, but she quite liked Charter’s attitude. It was not a bad attitude, her agent never spoke out of place, and she also never failed to keep the redhead bard grounded. Charter was not intimidated by Leliana’s daily activities – even if the elf knew that if the redhead wanted, she could set her right before she could even say ‘Andraste’ – but that was why Leliana respected and trusted the elf.

“I am sorry, it has been a long day,” the bard apologised before letting out a sigh and pinching the bridge of her nose between two of her fingers.

“I am afraid is going to get even longer after you will read the report,” Charter said in a warmer tone, offering the bard a sympathetic look.

“What do you have for me?” the redhead asked while taking the report from Charter. She started reading it immediately, her eyes rapidly passing over each word.

The elf could only stay on the side-line and read he master’s reactions. She knew every single word in there, every number and every punctuation mark, so when Leliana squinted her eyes or frowned, she knew exactly what pulled those reactions from her master.

It did not take the bard long to finish the report, and when she did, she took another pin and a piece of string, both coloured red – which meant high priority – and planted the sharp object in the centre of a dot on the map that read ‘Kirkwall’ next to it.

Finally being able to have a closer look at the map, Charter saw four red pins that she did not remember seeing on the map a week and a half before when she departed for Kirkwall.

“I see you have been busy in my absence. What did I miss?” Threading her fingers over the red strings, Charter realised that three of those new pins were actually connected with each other.

Seeing the elf’s expression turning into a frown and then the trail she was following with her forefinger, Leliana went and explained.

“Ah, you are wondering what is the connection between Orlais, Seheron and the Free Marches? Let’s just say that the Empress is aware of the saying _‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’_ …”

“Wait! Are you saying that the Empress of Orlais might be allying with the Qunari against the Tevinter Empire?” the elf asked in shock.

After a long pause and an almost as long intake of breath, the Left Hand spoke. “I… do not know yet. All that I know is that my agents intercepted a series of discussions between Celene’s uncle, Duke Prosper de Montfort, and a Tal-Vashoth named Sahit, about a meeting at the Duke’s villa in the Free Marches in two weeks’ time.”

“But what has that to do with Seheron if the guy is Tal-Vashoth?”

“I have reasons to believe that an old acquaintance of mine, a Qunari assassin possess the same information.”

When the bard spoke about her ‘acquaintance’, the elf thought that she saw something in the bard’s eyes and that she heard her voice soften slightly.

“And what makes you believe that?” she tried her luck.

For a moment Leliana contemplated if she should answer the question, or maybe _how_ to answer it. As soon as she made her decision, the bard’s cold demeanour returned. “Because Tallis knocked my agent out and took the information for herself.”

“Knocked him out? Why not just kill him and not risk being discovered?”

“Tallis never was one to kill innocents and… we go a while back. Any other inquiries that I might shine a light upon, Charter?”

 _‘Yes, how well “acquainted” were you two?’_ was what the elf wanted to ask, but she knew better than to pry into Leliana’s past. “No, Nightingale. I apologise if I went too far,” was what she said instead.

“It’s alright. I told you all that because I need your help to come up with a plan. I have been over it for days and I have no idea what to do. Plus, now I have to worry about a possible war starting in Kirkwall…”

To say that Charter was surprised would be an understatement. Not only did Leliana not get upset about her line of questioning, but now she was asked to offer her input. It was not the first time the Left Hand asked for her opinion, of course. After she proved her loyalty to the bard, the redhead started including her in small mission plans, and later on even allowed her to take full charge of some operations. But in comparison to that, this was huge. And the real issue was that she did not understand the reasoning behind it.

“I just have a question…”

Sensing her distress, the bard pointed to a couch for them to sit on, knowing that the familiarty behind the gesture would ease some of those concerns, while also showing a little bit more trust. “Go ahead.”

“Why? Why put so much trust in me, especially with something so crucial?”

The bard’s first reaction was a small smile, which was something the elf did not remember seeing other than a handful of times in the past three years, and definitely not in the absence of Divine Justinia.

“To be completely honest, because I see a part of myself in you. I see in you the same ambition someone else saw in me, and maybe more importantly, the best kind of loyalty. Look… people like us – spies, assassins, bards – we are trained to keep our loyalties fluid, to be loyal to whomever has the best bid. But there are some who can see past that point, who forgo that notion and by doing so becoming something more. Before coming into my employment, before joining this cause, you used to sell your skills to the highest bidder, until one day when you wanted, not only a steady employment, but something more. While in my case I put my loyalties with one person, it was similar to what you did because she was the one offering me the highest bid… Everything that I thought I wanted, and for a very long time I believed she offered me more than I could possibly deserve. But that was until someone else came into my life and slowly showed me that I could do something more, that I could _be_ something more… Unfortunately, it was too late for me because I only realised that when I was betrayed.”

Leliana involuntarily made a small pause while her brain drifted through some memories, her eyes becoming distant. Fortunately it did not last long and she pulled herself from it and continued.

“So I guess that this is me showing you that you can be something more, Charter. I know that growing up as an orphan in Antiva, and an elf at that, means that the only way to survive is to become a Crow. But that does not guarantee a better fate. Some are not able to free themselves from that life, some – like Zevran – manage to get out, but they have to run their whole life, and a very few – if any other – are like you. They become masters in being someone else until they vanish completely. But Charter, you do not have to be someone else all your life. You can choose who you want to be, who you really are, and just… live. Make your life your own.”

The elf contemplated the words and Leliana allowed her to. For the first time she was thinking about all the possibilities she had. They were endless, and the Left Hand was offering all of them. But in that moment she realised something. She realised that the bard already gave her the life she wanted to have.

“You know, Leliana,” with hesitation the elf managed to call her master by her name, and the only reaction the bard had was a slight smile and a nod of acceptance. “You already gave me that. You gave me a name, a purpose, a new life, and that is who I want to be.” This time it was her turn to smile. “I _am_ Charter!”.

The elf opened her mouth to speak again, but decided against it. The redhead could see the uncertainty in her eyes, and encouraged her to speak. “Yes, _Charter_?”

“I just…” she narrowed her eyes slightly and looked everywhere around the room, but to the bard. After a few more moments of hesitation, she turned her attention to her master and spoke her mind. “But, do you know who you are? Are you the Nightingale, are you Leliana? Are you being defined by your position of a Left Hand, a bard, a Chantry sister? Do _you_ know?”

Seeing the sadness in her master’s eyes, the elf contemplated if she should apologise for stepping out of line, but thinking about it she realised that she was not sorry for asking the question. She saw that the bard was slipping away from her identity more and more with each day.

Thoughts were swirling in the bard's head at incredible speeds crashing with each other, questions that maybe once she asked herself, the same questions that her agent asked her now, but none of them mattered. With a deep breath she silenced everything and in an instant she returned to her professional and composed demeanour. “It does not matter who I was before, or what I am now. All that matters is that _I am_ the Left Hand of the Divine and that I have a job to do. Now, will you help me do that?” Leliana asked as she stood up and offered the elf her hand.

“It would be my honour,” said the elf while shaking the bard’s hand.

 

***

“So you tell me that Meredith and Orsino’s incessantly bickering escalated into an ongoing quasi-religious dispute between Templars and mages, and now Meredith turned Kirkwall into a Templar-controlled police state?” Leliana could not even believe what she was saying.

“Yes, I was witness to a dispute between the leaders of the two factions. They were arguing over the Knight-Commander’s fear of mages that cannot be kept under control, and over her refusal to allow the election of a new Viscount.”

“And what did Hawke do about it?” the bard shouted, raising her hands into the air.

“The Champion was pressured into taking a side in this conflict, but to be honest, she did not seem to be able to keep anyone under control. If Grand Cleric Elthina would not have stepped in to disperse the crowd, I think it all would have ended in a bloodbath.”

At that, Leliana let out a side of relief. “Thank the Maker for that woman! Who did Hawke side with, then?”

“She sided with Knight-Commander Meredith, being convinced that the mages are using blood magic.”

“Well, considering what happened to her mother, I understand her point, but I do not believe Bethany was too happy about that, even though she is now a Grey Warden. Or Orsino, for that matter, and I fear what he might do if he feels like he is being cornered.”

“But what do _we_ do?”

“We report to the Divine, come with me.” Leliana said as she went for the exit of her chambers.

“And what do you think she will want us to do?”

“That I cannot know for sure.”

“But what would you do?” the elf said, sounding more panicked than she intended.

Leliana stopped in the door and turned towards Charter. She realised it would be good to think of a plan before seeing the Divine, _or Cassandra!_ “Well, Orsino is… a hard man to deal with. He started his life obeying the Templars’ words to the letter, until they tightened their grip on the Gallows and some of the mages decided that the only way to escape was by taking their own lives, including his closest friend, a human girl. His anger made him bold and after the previous First Enchanter died without a successor, he took that position for himself, despite Meredith’s objections. Under him the mages grew defiant, pushing boundaries everywhere they could, which made the Knight-Commander reinforce order through harsher measures.

They have been at it for the past five years, and recently he’s been disputing Meredith very publicly. In my opinion, he fuelled the mages so much that they ended up using blood magic to fight back the Templars, and now he no longer has them under control, which makes them very dangerous. And with Hawke allying with the Templars, I think Kirkwall is not safe anymore. I also think that the Grand Cleric will try to calm the two parties and reach an accord, but she is in danger. I think a war is coming…”

“So what would the Divine have us do to stop it?”

“Let us find out, shall we?” the Left Hand said while going through the doors.

 

***

 

Half an hour later, both the Divine and the Right Hand were informed of the situation.

“When did things escalate so quickly?” Cassandra’s powerful voice reverberated into the completely silent room.

“Well, nobody expected the Arishok to kill the Viscount, or for Meredith to seize control over the city,” her fellow hand responded.

The two women went back and forth at it, Cassandra trying to blame someone for not foreseeing the situation. All that time the Divine kept silent, pacing around the room.

Charter was staying in the back, observing the situation, changing her attention from Justinia, to the two women and then back to the Divine, until she saw that the Most Holy came to a conclusion.

“What would you have us do, Your Holiness?” she addresses the Divine.

Hearing Charter speak with Justinia made Leliana stop arguing with Cassandra, and when the Seeker observed that the bard stopped paying attention to her, she seized talking.

“I believe that the situation has gone too far, and that the mages do not recognise the Templar’s authority no more. And if they continue to rebel against the Chantry, I fear that Kirkwall might follow Tevinter’s example and break away from the Chantry. If that happens, more Circles will follow. The situation was already dire in Kinloch Hold since the events that transpired during the Blight, we are beginning to receive reports of the Libertarians growing in power in the White Spire, and if these three major Circles fall, you can be sure that all the First Enchanters will gather to the College of Magi for a vote. While I know for sure that the Grand Enchanter Brians has no intent in dissolving the Circles, with enough pressure from the Libertarians, his opinion might not matter. Thus, it all depends on Kirkwall. If Kirkwall falls, we will have a war between the mages and the Templars, which would lead to a Holy War.”

“No! You do not plan on an Exalted March now, Most Holy?”

“Only if they leave me no choice, Cassandra,” said Justinia with regret.

“And when will that last resort card be played?” The Right Hand asked.

“I do not know, Cassandra. I need to find out what is really happening first. And for that I need Elthina here in Val Royeaux.”

“Are you just going to abandon Kirkwall’s Chantry? Because bringing the Grand Cleric here – as impossible as that would be – will leave the whole state without the Chantry. You might as well let them break away on their own volition then doing it _for_ them!” Cassandra snapped at the Divine, and it was Leliana who interfered.

“While addressing the _Most Holy_ watch what you say and _how_ you say it, _Seeker!_ ”

Seeing the murderous look on her master’s face, Charter instinctively took two steps back, even though she was not the one on the receiving end of that subtle threat.

Cassandra on the other hand was not intimidated by the bard, or if she was she could really hide it. Instead, she seemed to take her frustrations on Leliana, which – surprisingly – fared better with the bard.

“Wait, why aren’t you against this idea, Leliana? Why are you being so calm and not a little bit shocked by the prospect of _abandoning_ the Chantry of a whole state when the people need it the most?”

“Because I already expected this answer from the Most Holy. Think about it just for a second, Cassandra. Orsino instigated violence and now he lost the only control we could ever have on the mages. Their hatred towards the Knight-Commander and the Templars is blowing out of proportion, and now with the Champion siding with the Templars, they feel like everyone is against them. So what will they try to do? Casting the blame on someone is the first reaction everyone has, just like you did previously. And just blaming the Templars won’t cut it anymore… they have been doing that for the past five years. No, they will go further, straight to the Chantry. And when they do, Grand Cleric Elthina and whoever serves in that Chantry will become martyrs. Is that what you want?”

“Then send Lord Seeker Lambert to the Gallows and I can even join him-“

“No!” came the vehement response of the Divine. “Lambert became… cold. He returned from Tevinter as a cynical man, and even though he might be a good Seeker, I do not want him anywhere near that Circle, not when everything is about to collapse. I do not need a second Meredith, I need someone who can see reason, someone who can do what it takes to _help_ the situation, not make it worse. Someone Orsino can still listen to.”

“Who do you have in mind then, Most Holy?” the Seeker asked cautiously.

“Leliana…” The Divine paused while using her forefinger and thumb to straighten a line forming on her forehead.

Hearing her name, the Left Hand shot up straight, ready to receive her mission. In the meantime Cassandra was confused and was about to start to argue the Divine’s logic, but a look from Justinia told her not to rush to whatever conclusion she was making.

“I will need you to go to Kirkwall and meet with your sources there, probably even with the Champion and assess the situation. Try to get her and Elthina to put some sense into the First Enchanter. _If_ things are indeed as we fear, then do not take any risks and convince Elthina to report back to Val Royeaux, _as a direct order from the Sunburst Throne_ , and then do whatever you can to mend things in there. I would not want to have to call for an Exalted March, but if no one can calm the mages – Maker preserve us – then that is exactly what I am going to do!”

“Of course, Your Worship. I will leave first thing in the morning,” said the Left Hand with a bow.

“Most Holy, I request to join Leliana on this mission,” the Seeker said determined.

“I do not think that it would be a good idea, Cassandra. If the mages catch wind that I sent a Seeker to solve the situation, then I am afraid that they will see that as a first step towards and Exalted March, and then a war will break for sure. We cannot afford the risk, we are already walking on thin ice.”

“I… understand, Your Perfection.”

Before making her exit, Leliana threw her friend and fellow Hand a sympathetic look. She could see clearly that Cassandra hated feeling powerless and that she wanted to do more, but that she also understood that her presence might cause an uprising. “If you will excuse me, I have to relay all my work to Charter and then get ready for the journey.” With another bow towards the Divine, she made her exit, Charter right behind her.  

As soon as they were out of the room with the door closed behind them, the elf spoke. “Yeah, about that. I have been wondering what was the fourth pin marked as high priority for?”

“Aww, that?” Leliana asked in surprise. “I almost forgot about it. There are pretty veridic rumours that the Grand Duke Gaspard is rallying nobles under his banner to start a civil war in Orlais and invade Ferelden…”

In an instant, Charter’s eyes went wide in shock. As a matter of fact, Leliana thought that if the elf’s eyebrows would go just half an inch higher, they would get lost in her hairline.

“Ah, do not worry, Charter. I believe you will do just fine taking over for me while I am gone. All you have to do is ensure that Gaspard does not throw a Coup d’état.”

For the first time in three years, Charter did not know if Leliana was teasing her or if she was being serious, but she did not plan on finding out that answer the hard way…

 

***

 

A couple of hours later, Charter was up to date with the new developments, her bags were packed for the journey, but Leliana could not find the peace of mind to rest. As always she found solace spending some time in the gardens, and like most times, Justinia joined her there.

“What troubles your soul, Leliana?”

“Dorothea,” Leliana acknowledged her friend and mentor, “it is nothing, just something Charter said.”

“I know that look, Leliana. It is not nothing, you were thinking about Lyna again.”

“You know that Charter accused me of having an identity crisis?” Leliana said softly, trying to change the subject.

“Was she wrong? You have been so wrapped up in your work that most of the time you forget to live your life.”

“You know very well that our positions are not something that we can do part-time. It requires us fully and at all times.”

“Not constantly, Leliana. It is okay to take some breaks at times.”

“Is that what you do, take breaks from being the Divine? From the responsibilities you carry on your shoulders?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. In this moment here with you I enjoy being just Dorothea. And sometimes when I am with the faithful or during a prayer I pretend to be just a Revered Mother back in Valence.”

Leliana smiled at that. It was good to know that her friend could find those moments of calmness. “You know, usually when I come into the gardens and watch the stars, I pretend to be back in Ferelden during the Blight, at the camps keeping watch.” Leliana let her eyes close and go back to those moments. ”Every now and then there is a soft breath upon the back of my neck and I feel her come back to me again.” At that point tears started gathering in her eyes. “And… and it is like she was not gone a moment from my side.” The bard then caught a tear that was falling on her cheek. “It is like I never cried these tears…”

“That is because when you die, your existence does not end there. Lyna is at the Maker’s side and from there she is watching over you. What you two had is now eternal and can never falter…”

“Then is not crazy that I feel like we are closer than we ever were? I do not have to see or to hear, I feel her being with me and that is all the proof I need. And I am sure with all my heart that she is watching me because I believe.”

“And what do you think she would have to say to you about how you live? You know that she wanted you to move on, how she tried to help you see that before she joined the Maker.”

“But, Dorothea, I feel her being a part of me still, and I will hold her in my heart forever. I will hold her even longer if I can…”

“That does not mean that she can be the only one. Look at the Maker, He has love for all His children and holds every one of us in His heart.”

“But that is the Maker.”

“Leliana, just look into my eyes and tell me that only the love for the Warden rests in your heart. Can you do that?”

“No,” the bard answered sincerely. “There is also the Maker, and you and… even a trace of Marjolaine.” Leliana said, looking deep into her friend’s eyes.

“And?” Justinia said expecting the redhead to continue.

“And what?”

Seeing the woman trying to get out of the situation but failing, Justinia shook her head in disapproval, slightly amused. “You forget that you are not the only one with bardic training, my dear Leliana. So, I ask again, who else?”

“You already seem to know the answer to that question.”

“I do, but you need to say it out loud.”

“To what end? What good would it do? It is not like it will suddenly change the fact that we cannot be together. Not without risking her safety.”

“But you do not deny what you feel for her.” Justinia formulated that as an affirmation.

“No I- I do love Josie, but it was not the right time for us.”

Justinia smiled again. “Then make it the right time.”

“In the middle of all this? We are at the brink of a war between the mages and the Templars, Gaspard is planning a coup to start his own war with Ferelden, and you really want me to pursue a romance now?”

“You did it in the middle of a Blight when a handful of you took it upon yourselves to save the whole Thedas.”

Leliana let out a giggle and admitted to herself that Justinia had a point. “Touché! How did you become so wise and all-knowing?” she teased back.

Dorothea only shrugged. “What can I say, call it Divine providence.”

“Oh, she jokes…”

It took the two women a few moments to stop laughing and when they did, the bard was the first one to speak.

“I cannot promise anything, but I will think about it. Thank you… again.”

“That is what I am here for, Leliana.” The Divine said while hugging the bard. “Now, let us go get you some rest, child.”

 


	9. Old Acquaintances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends,
> 
> Wow, it's been **a while** since this story had any updates, but I can assure you it's not dead. This chapter had like 3 different versions and for a long time I didn't know what I want to do, but I pulled through in the end. It was the most difficult chapter to write because of having no direction, and hopefully the next instalments will be easier to write. You might even have Josie in the next one, which will lay the cards down for the Inquisition if everything goes as planned.   
>  Anyway, I hope you can still enjoy the story!
> 
> Annien

Chapter IX - Old Acquaintances

 

The journey to Kirkwall was uneventful, at least until Leliana got there. There were no actual problems to get to the Viscount Keep where she was supposed to meet Marian, giving the fact that the place was empty without an actual Viscount. Once there however she had the first look at how far the mages had fallen.

Not happy about the Champion’s alliance with the Templars and maybe aware of their meeting, a group of Revolutionist mages attacked the Champion and her party. Hawke and the company did not have too many problems to defend themselves, but they did not expect a second wave of reinforcements showing up. Luckily for them Leliana did not lose her touch, staying hidden in the shadows until the opportune moment when she struck.

Afterwards, seeing that their secret meeting was not so secret anymore, the party separated in an attempt to throw off any other Revolutionists. That was how Leliana ended up at the Hawke estate, only the Champion and her in the big mansion.

Even if they did not know each other very well the two found a certain familiarity while around the other. Maybe it was the fact that they had seen each other almost naked before, wearing only their smallclothes and breast bands. Maybe it had something to do with Isabela and their mutual ‘connection’ to the woman – but on the second thought so did almost every person from the Blooming Rose and more than half of the people from the Pearl. Or maybe it was the fact that they really did know more of each other than strangers would, thanks to Bethany, Leandra and even Carver.

Even though Marian used to spend the majority of her time away from the Chantry and even from home when they used to live in Lothering, the woman remembered coming home and trying to catch up with her mother and her siblings, and most of the times ending up listening to her sister telling her about another fascinating story that she heard from a redhead lay sister.

Bethany became close friends with Leliana and often came up with any excuse to go to the Chantry and spend some time with the redhead. After a while, Leliana accepted Leandra and Bethany’s invitations to join them for dinner, but back then Marian used to be a rebel, preferring to spend her time with this-or-that girl. So, making it home for supper was not on her list of priorities.

Carver on the other hand always used to bail on his big sister whenever he knew that Leliana would be at their house, as he had a secret crush on the Chantry sister. Or at least he thought it to be a secret, when in truth everyone knew about it.

Lost in thoughts about her brother, Hawke did not realise that Leliana was talking to her.

“Oh, I’m sorry. What were you saying, Leliana?” The Champion asked, gently shaking her head to get rid of her previous thoughts.

The bard sensed that something was troubling the other woman, so she did not let things slide so easily. “What’s the matter, Marian? Where did you go?”

“I–,” she stopped, reluctant to give voice to her thoughts. What made her continue, though, was the genuinely concerned expression the bard regarded her with. For some reason she felt that it was alright to share her memories with Leliana. “I was thinking about Carver. It was actually something that involved you.”

“Oh?” The bard was taken by surprise.

“Yeah,” Marian laughed at the memory before getting to tell Leliana about it. “Back in Lothering I used to hang out with some friends in the markets. We had this spot from where we could see any merchant and eavesdrop easily on conversations. We were a bunch of brattish little nitwits back then, so that was how we used to spend our time. It’s not an excuse, I know, but…” the rogue trailed off until she saw Leliana’s smile, which made her stop trying to justify herself. “Anyway, this one time Carver was with us and there was this caravan of Orlesians on some kind of pilgrimage to visit every Chantry in Ferelden. And they could not stop only at the Chantry, obviously, they had to go shopping. So, imagine how it was for a group of brats like us to hear half a dozen Orlesian noble women trying to barter for more than ten minutes over the price of some scarves. Losing our patience, we started making fun of them. We did keep it between us, just some harmless fun, we weren’t that stupid. We picked on their ridiculous hair styles, on their fancy dresses which were getting muddied, and even on their shoes…”

Hearing the last thing, Leliana frowned a little and pouted slightly. “You know, Hawke, it’s all fun until you pick on shoes. That’s just… mean!”

“Oh, you think that was mean? Wait to hear the rest. So, you know Carver, he always followed me around trying to do what I did and then complain that he was in my shadow. Well, back then he thought that if he would come up with something clever to add he would be more like me. So, he started imitating their muddied Ferelden accent and kept on saying that they talk funny. Unfortunately, he took it too far and I tried telling him that it was enough, but he flipped me off. Or he tried to, really, because the next thing I said to him was ‘And here I remember you mooning over that redhead lay sister with the accent.’”

“How could you, Marian? Teasing your brother for the crush he had on me wasn’t nice.”

“Wait, you aren’t surprised… You knew about that?” Marian asked, taken aback herself.

“Of course I knew. He always used to get so shy and awkward when we happened to be left alone. I used to make people get like that around me in Val Royeaux but with your brother it was different. I didn’t even have to lift a finger and he was squirming around me. It was cute.”

“Maybe for you it was but for us it was annoying. You know, I think he annoyed Bethany so much until the point that she almost knocked him out to make him shut up. I think he was the reason why she never admitted to herself that she likes you.”

“Wait, she likes me? As in… ‘ _like’_ like?” It was the bard’s time to be the one caught by surprise.

“Yeah, she was quite taken with you,” Marian giggled. “Not in the same way as Carver but in a normal way.”

“Wow, that’s a…” Leliana took a moment to find her words, “total surprise. I mean I never expected that.”

“Well, I can see why she would feel that way,” Marian said with a smirk and a glint in her eyes.

Not wanting to go deeper into the subject, Leliana tried to steer the conversion away before Hawke would say something that would make the atmosphere awkward. “How is Bethany, by the way? I couldn’t help but notice that both she and Isabela were not with you today, even if I know that they are both in Kirkwall.”

Hearing Leliana’s question made Hawke remember the fight she had with her sister. Bethany did not agree with her decision of siding with the Templars, seeing it as an act against all the mages, herself included. It did not matter that she explained that some mages were getting out of control and were using blood magic, one of them being directly responsible for the death of their mother. No, the younger Hawke was blaming the Champion for everything that happened with Carver, with Leandra, and even with her contacting the Blight. And the worst part of it all, Marian knew her sister was right because she felt responsible for all of that.

 And just like that all her guilt resurfaced, so she turned to the only thing she knew to work against it. With a sigh, Marian stood up from the couch, avoiding Leliana’s question and heading straight for the drink cupboard. The top bottles were all of rum, but she did not reach for any, going for the furthest bottle of Legacy White Shear whisky she was keeping for the right occasion.

Marian pulled the first glass towards her, opened the bottle and then poured a single into it, which she downed straight away, letting it burn down her throat and come up her back with a shiver. Deciding that it was exactly what she needed she poured another double and then turned her head towards Leliana who was quietly watching her.

“Do you want a drink?” she asked the redhead.

It took the bard a moment to analyse the situation in her head. It was clear to her that Marian wanted to avoid talking about her problems and use the alcohol to forget about all her troubles. If she was reading the rogue right, the brunette was the type of person that did not allow herself to show or even feel vulnerable, which was something that she did herself. Luckily, she had people in her life that grounded her and did not allow her to bottle everything up, and she knew that she could be that person for Hawke. In order to do that, though, she had to play by the Champion’s rules.

“Sure, I’ll have a drink,” was the only answer she gave.

Marian poured her a glass in silence and then returned to the couch. She was sitting across from Leliana, spread out over the backrest, looking around the dimmed room. The atmosphere between them was heavy but she tried to cover the discomfort with more alcohol and avoid looking at the bard at any cost. Unfortunately, nothing she did could stop the feeling of being watched and instinctively her foot started twitching while her eyes met Leliana’s concerned ones.

Seeing her opening the bard opened her mouth to speak. “Marian, I know you had an argument with your sister when you had to choose a side. Do you want to talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about? She’s a mage, I supported the Templars, so she left and took Isabela with her. End of story.”

“Hawke,” the redhead lowered her voice. “You know neither one of them would leave you. They both love you.”

Hawke’s twitch stopped and her jaw clenched instantly after Leliana finished talking. Her anger returned and she did not have the control to stop herself before snapping at the bard. “Yeah, and what do you know of this, Leliana? Remind me how are things going with that Antivan ambassador of yours?”

In her defence, Leliana knew that the other woman did not mean to hurt her, it was just a natural response she had at someone jabbing at her personal life. She also knew that if she wanted Marian to get comfortable she had to be the first one to open up and create a safe environment. Deciding to answer the question that was definitely meant as a deflection, Leliana took a sip of her own drink.

“Things between me and Josie were complicated and risky, so I left. I broke her heart, I doubt she’ll ever want to speak with me again.”

Marian saw the guilty expression on Leliana’s face and the pain it brought the bard. That made her speak again before she could think better of it. “What happened between the two of you?”

“I became the Left Hand,” the redhead simply answered. “See, with you and Isabela it works because even if you have a penchant for finding yourself in the middle of the most dangerous and complicated situations, Isabela has a knack for getting in trouble herself. But Josie is an outsider to this world we live in, and while she could sit at the same table with the Empress of Orlais and play a game of cards, the stakes are too high in my line of work.”

“I understand what you had to do, Leliana. I was so busy running around and trying to do something about all the mess in this city that I didn’t realise that the person my mother was seeing was a fucking blood mage. I also had the brilliant idea to take my sister to the Deep Roads and infect her with the Blight, and then had to find a way to end the Qunari after they threatened the Grey Wardens – threatened my sister. Everything I do puts the people I love in danger and ruins their lives,” Hawke admitted at the end of her drink.

“You cannot blame yourself for that, Marian. Things are not always under our control and all we can do is make the best that we can out of what’s given to us. And I know you do that every single day.”

“Just not when it matters, ah?”

Leliana could see all the blame the rogue did not want to let go off and she finally understood why. Marian did not allow herself to breathe for just a moment and let everything that happened in her life sink in. With the gentlest of touch, she reached and laid her hand across Marian’s who did not make any move to pull away, but finally met the bard’s eyes, her own beginning to water.

“Did you have time to grieve, Marian?” Leliana asked sincerely.

Instead of a spoken answer the brunette’s jaw began to tremble and tears started spilling down her cheeks. It was in that moment when Hawke allowed herself to feel vulnerable around another human being ever since Malcom died and she had to take his place in the family. Instead of letting her emotions show she started using her charisma and humour to deflect any serious conversations and put the people around her at ease. But that worked only for so long and in the first moment she found a person she trusted and one that made her feel comfortable opening up to, all the feelings that she bottled up came crushing in.

Leliana realised all that and moved closer to the brunette, allowing her to bury her head in her shoulder and cry. She tried to alleviate the rogue’s old and new wounds by running a soothing hand up and down her back and humming a ballad that she remembered Bethany telling her it used to be what Malcom singed to his children before bed. Slowly the brunette’s sobs turned silent, her breathing evened out, and her grip on Leliana’s robes loosened as she fell asleep.

Careful not to wake her up, the bard picked Marian in her arms and carried her to the bed, tucking her in and staying with her in case she would wake up. Despite the urgency of the situation and the fact that they did not discuss what the Divine’s plans for Kirkwall were, Leliana was content with taking the night off.

 

***

 

The smell of breakfast coming from the small coffee table a few feet away from her pulled Marian from her sleep. It took her a few moments to realise where she was and everything that happened the previous night. Turning around and looking next to her she saw that the sheets were crumpled, which confirmed her suspicion of sharing a bed with Leliana.

The redhead that was now entering the room with two cups of coffee and setting them on the table next to the food. Seeing a platter with cheese, uncured beef sausage, hard boiled quail eggs and a few slices of bread, her stomach suddenly remembered that it was hungry, if the growls were of any indication.

“Good morning. That smells amazing and my stomach seems to approve.”

“Haha, I can see that,” the bard chuckled. “I figured that with the drinks we had last night on top of skipping dinner, early breakfast would be a good idea.”

“Best idea,” Marian corrected. “Thank you, Leliana. And thank you for last night. You know, taking care of me and helping me deal with all the emotions I kept pushing back,” she added when she saw Leliana’s confused expression.

“You don’t have to thank me, Marian,” the bard said with a smile. “That’s what friends do. How are you feeling?”

“I am alright. I obviously need more time to deal with my feelings, but now I realise that I have to. I cannot keep everything inside, and allowing myself to feel isn’t a weakness.”

“That’s good, I’m glad to hear that. And what about Bethany and Isabela?”

Marian sighed and made up her mind. “I guess I’ll send them a letter of apology and ask them to come back. But only after we deal with what you came here to do.”

“Alright,” the bard agreed. “Why don’t you start on that breakfast, and in the meantime maybe I can use your bathroom to clean up a bit?”

“Sure, go ahead. I’ll be here, digging in this lovely breakfast. Unless you need me to help draw you a bath and with all the cleaning?”

“I think I got that part covered. Thank you for the kind offer,” Leliana turned the brunette down with a smirk.

“Suit yourself. I was only trying to be a good host,” Marian shrugged and then took a sip of her coffee.

“Of course you were. Enjoy your breakfast.”

“Thank you, I will. Enjoy your… bath,” the brunette winked, thing that made Leliana chuckle and shake her head as she made her way into the bathroom.

 

***

 

Leliana stepped out of the bathroom dressed in a fresh set of clothes looking almost identically to the previous ones. The bard also took the time to plan ahead in the eventuality the Grand Cleric and Hawke could not talk some sense into Orsino, and then came up with a plan B to take Elthina away from Kirkwall against her will if she did not have another choice. By the time she entered the living room, Hawke was finished with the breakfast and she set up tea and coffee while waiting for her.

“Everything alright?” The Champion asked.

“I believe so,” the bard replied and then took a sip of coffee.

“Good. Now that I’m not interfering with your plans, tell me what brings you to Kirkwall, Sister Nightingale. Other than our pristine sights, of course,” Hawke quipped.

“The tension between the mages and the Templars, as you might have expected.”

“Yeah, I had a thought or two on that. But what about it specifically? Does the Chantry oppose my decision to side with the Templars? It was the only way I could think of to defuse the situation.”

“No, I actually think that it was the best call giving the situation.”

“But _‘the best’_ is not enough, I assume?”

“It isn’t. The mages are angrier, more powerful than ever and they won’t stay idle for long. Orsino might think that he can maintain order, but if he offers them more fuel the mages will rebel against both the Templars and the Chantry.”

Hawke’s eyes went wide while taking in the gravity of the situation Leliana was describing. “We cannot let things get so far, the whole Kirkwall will suffer and maybe even the world beyond these walls. Maybe Orsino can be reasoned with.”

“That’s what we are hoping for, and it’s also why I’m here. I need both you and the Grand Cleric to talk to him. Elthina will remind him of what the Circle stands for and that the Templars are under the control of the Chantry.”

“And what do you want me to do then?” The brunette seemed confused.

“You sided with the Templars, so he thinks that you are against them. I need you to convince him that you are not the enemy and show him what consequences could his action have if he continues on this path. Just… do it in a non-threatening way.”

“But the mages are practising blood magic!”

“Not all of them do, and I don’t think Orsino approves those practices. Use that if you have to, but convince him to stand down before the Chantry is forced to intervene.”

“And if I fail?”

“If you fail, Divine Justinia might have to call for an Exalted March.”

“But that would bring bloodshed and chaos to the streets of Kirkwall.”

“Then don’t fail! And maybe tell Aveline to come up with a plan to evacuate the city if worse comes to pass.”

“Why do I feel like once again the fate of this city falls onto my shoulders?” The Champion sighed.

“Because it kinda does, Marian. It kinda does…” Leliana said honestly.

“Perfect, let’s go then!”

“I won’t be joining you. There’s another matter I need to attend to just outside Kirkwall. You can report to one of my agents. Good luck!”

“Yeah, you too!”


End file.
